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How to Read Your Water Meter

water meterThere are several reasons why you'd want to be able to locate and read your water meter. First, you might be interested in just how much water you use in a day. By reading your meter at the beginning and the end of the day you can compare the two totals tell how much water you and your family used. The second reason is to check for leaks. If you turn off all the taps in your house, look at your meter and it is still turning, chances are you have a leak somewhere. Here are some hints to help you find and read your water meter:

STEP 1: Locate Your Meter

meter box Your water meter is generally located near the curb or yard in front of your home or place of business in a direct line with the main outside faucet. It is housed in a concrete box usually marked "water." Carefully remove the lid by using a tool such as a large screwdriver. Please, do not use your fingers. Insert the tool into one of the holes and pry the lid up. Visually examine the area around the meter to make sure there are no harmful insects or other animals.

STEP 2: Read Your Water Meter

All customers within the City of Lauderhill have their water use measured by a meter. This results in each customer paying their share of operating the system based upon the amount of water used. All City of Lauderhill meters measure water in Gallons. There are two basic types of water meters -- the straight-reading meter which resembles an odometer in a car, and the round-reading meter which has several separate dials.

In the meter at the right, the reading is taken from the figures shown over the words Gallons. The meter reads 0,000,01 which is the total number of gallons of water recorded since the meter was installed. So, if by the time the we read your bills the next time you had used 1,200 gallons of water, the new reading would be 001201 (0,000,01plus 1,200). Again, your official reading would be 1200. Your bill would be figured by subtracting the old number (01) from the new number (1201). You would then be billed for 1200 gallons It's important to note that the large sweep hand is used only for testing purposes.

Please Note: The Water Division is not permitted to do any work on private property; therefore, the homeowner or a plumber must resolve any problem between the meter and the house.