While you’re carefully watching your water usage, it’s important to make sure that water is not slipping away due to undetected leaks in your system. Here’s a simple procedure that can tell you if you have a leak and how much water you are losing.

1. Locate your water meter – It is usually located near the street in front of your home covered by a rectangular lid. You will need the following:

1.  A screwdriver or thin prybar to open the meter lid.
2. Work gloves
3. Flashlight
4. Washcloth to clean the screen of debris

2. Reading the meter – After you uncover the lid, most of the meters have a plastic cap that easily flips open. Is there noticeable movement on the meter? Are the numbers on the meter slowly getting larger? What is the rate of usage? You might need a flashlight to read the meter.

Meters in our District:

3 . Want to calculate your water usage of your Registered Dial Meters?

Before you record the meter, make sure there is NO water being used during the test period. The test can last between 5 minutes to 24 hours.

1. Before you record the meter, make sure there is NO water being used during this test period. The test can last between five minutes to 24 hours.
2. Record the time and meter read. The first 4 numbers are the most important (0698990 = 0698.990 cu ft).
3. Record the time and the new current read on the meter.
4. Take the final read number and subtract it from the numbers listed in the register dial to calculate the current rate of your water usage.
5. The results are in cubic feet.
6. Multiply that # by 7.48 to convert the units into gallons.

If you suspect you have a leak on your meter, check out Finding & Fixing Your Leak