Read Water Meter

Hi, my name is Dan Baker, I'm the utility crew supervisor for the valve and meter section here at Helix Water District.

We follow the American Water Works Association guidelines for water meters. Accuracy is measured across three different flows and can fall within one and a half % of a hundred. Every meter we purchase is tested and certified by the manufacturer. They add a sticker on the meter here to show their test results. When the meters arrive at the meter shop, we grab a sample of those and test them on our own bench to verify their results. One of the tests we do is a high flow test. We flow 10 cubic feet of water through the meter at 25 gallons per minute to measure accuracy. We compare the read on the meter to the measured volume in the tank. In addition to the high flow rate test, we also do a medium flow rate test and a low flow rate test. For the low flow rate, we run water through the meter at a half a gallon per minute and we fill the tank up to one cubic foot. We then compare the reads for accuracy.

One full cubic foot of water that flows through the meter should look like one full revolution of the sweep hand on the face of the meter. For residential meters, we mostly use a positive displacement meter like this one. There's a chamber inside the meter that's split by a disc. The disc has to rotate in order for the meter to register. In order for the disc to rotate, water has to pass through it. Meters like this have been around for more than 100 years. What has changed on this meter is the register type. The registers have become much smaller, compact, easier to read and some are even digital. 

As the meter ages, it actually benefits the customer. What happens is the seal in the disc between the disc and the chamber wears out so more water passes through than actually gets registered. [Music] We actually replace 3,000 meters a year. That's our target goal for a 20-year meter replacement cycle. [Music] We notify the customer before we turn the water off. The whole process takes about 10 minutes.

Our meter readers read the meter in the field every two months. They enter the read into a handheld device. Our handheld device alerts the reader if the read is out of normal range for that property and forces them to re-enter their reading. Once we upload the reading, we have software that identifies high and low consumption. Our customer service team reviews these readings based on historical consumption. If there is a high or low reading, we physically send a different meter reader back out to verify the reading. 

If you still have concerns about your meter, you can request to have the meter retested. Since we already have test results for all the meters, we ask that customers pay for the retest up front. We'll be happy to meet you at the site where we remove the meter. You're welcome to follow us back here to the meter shop and witness the entire test process. If there's still an issue with the meter, we'll refund the fee and replace the meter at no cost.

Give us a call. We can assist you. We can verify the read. If it's correct, we can troubleshoot some causes of the high use or we can provide you with a free water use evaluation. Two of the most common reasons for high bills for our customers are leaks and irrigation issues. One of the most common leaks is a toilet leak. A toilet leak can send hundreds of gallons of water down the drain every day. Using your meter is a great tool for tracking high use and looking for leaks. The first thing you want to do is make sure nothing is using water in your home, then head out to the meter. The blue dial on your water meter detects very small flows and can tell you if you have a leak.