STEP 1 Locate your meter, generally found towards the front of a property, near the road. It is housed in a pit with a metal frame and lid. Carefully lift the lid, not to pull the attached wires loose, to check the inside of the pit.
STEP 2 Once you remove the meter lid, you may see ground water inside which is common. On the face of the meter, there is a dial and a display of numbers. Read the number display from left to right. Be sure to include the stationary zero. This is your meter reading. Meters measure water in gallons. Charges for the amount of water consumed are rounded to the nearest thousand gallons used during a billing period. Compare that reading to what your bill states as your current or present reading.
STEP 3 Keep in mind that you might be checking your meter on a date different from the one used for billing. This could result in a difference in the amount you find, compared with the amount on which your bill is based. However, if your reading is considerably higher than what is on your bill, check for a leak or try to determine the source of large water use. If your reading is significantly lower than the reading on your bill, please contact us and let us assist you in determining the problem.