STEP 1: Locate your meter box, generally found towards the front of a property near the street. The box is typically in a direct line with the main outside faucet. The meter is housed in a plastic or cast-iron meter box. Use a tool such as a large screwdriver to remove the lid. Insert the tool into one of the holes and pry the lid off.
STEP 2 Once you open the meter box lid, lift the protective cap on the meter. On the face of the meter is a large dial and a display of numbers. For the residential meter, each rotation of the dial measures 10 gallons. 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 or cubic feet. Charges for the amount of water consumed are rounded to the nearest thousand gallons or hundred cubic feet 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 your bill is based on. However, if your reading is considerably higher than what is on your bill, check for a leak or try to determine the source of significant water use. If your reading is significantly lower than the reading on your bill, please get in touch with us and let us assist you in determining the problem.
WATER INTERRUPTION NOTICE
Please be aware that an outsourced crew will be in our service area to replace any water meters that are not the new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) water meter. A temporary disruption of service will occur while the new meter is being installed. The crew will begin the change-outs North of Mount Vernon on April 1, 2025, and continue for approximately two months until the system is entirely changed out.
New Water Meters
KAMSTRUP AMI METER SYSTEM:
As of January 2023, we started replacing all water meters as part of a program to (1) read our meters more efficiently and accurately and (2) provide the ability to review water usage and monitor current usage close to real-time. The new meters have no moving parts; instead, they use ultrasonic signals to measure water flow more accurately, registering a drop of water every 11 seconds. You can learn more about ultrasonic measuring technology by clicking the video below.
Steps to properly read your smart water meter:
1) Locate your meter box. This will usually be a black box in the ground between you
and your neighbor’s home, close to the street.
2) Remove the meter box lid. Check the meter number to ensure it matches the meter number
on your account. It is the bold number under the display. In this case number 26439239.
3) On the meter display it has a decimal point. Every digit to the right is a fraction of a gallon
and every digit to the left is whole gallons. This display has hash marks above and below the
far left four digits, indicating it is billing in thousands of gallons.
4) To calculate your water consumption, subtract last month’s reading from the current
reading. You will need to make the last two digits zeros and add two zeros to last month's reading since we bill per 1,000 gallons.
Use your water meter to check for leaks:
1) Ensure no water is being used inside or outside your home.
2) Look at the smaller numerical digits in the lower left of the display labeled (GPM) gallons per
minute. This will show how much water is going through the meter at that time.
3) If the display shows a leaky faucet symbol, you have had continuous flow in the
last 24 hours. Which indicates a possible small leak. This alert will switch off automatically when
the condition no longer exists.
4) If the display shows a broken pipe symbol, you have had consistently high
consumption for half an hour, which could be a large leak. This alert will switch off automatically
when the condition no longer exists.
We’re excited to share that we utilize AMI technology to track water usage and aid in leak detection. However, please note that our system is not monitored in real-time. While we make every effort to identify unusual usage patterns, we encourage you to check your water usage regularly and address any pressure issues promptly. Together, we can ensure a more efficient and enjoyable water experience. Thank you for being proactive in managing your water use!
