Reading Your Meter

There are several reasons why you’d want to be able to 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 of the taps in your house, look at your meter and it is turning, chances are you have a leak somewhere. Here are some hints to help you find and read your water meter.

Locating Your Water Meter

Your water meter is generally located near the curb in front of your home. Water meters are typically housed in a concrete box usually marked “water”. Carefully remove the lid by using a tool such as a large screwdriver or pliers. Visually examine the area around the meter to make sure there are no harmful insects or other animals.

If you can’t find your meter, or need assistance please call YLWD’s customer service at (714) 701-3050.

Water Meter cover in grass next to brick column

Checking for Possible Leaks

Here a few steps to help determine if you may have a leak and where it may be. For information on water usage and conservation visit www.bewaterwise.com.

How to Detect Leaks

To test for leaks in your plumbing system, stop all indoor and outdoor water use activity. Check and record the numbers on your water meter. Wait two to four hours (overnight if possible), then record your water meter numbers. If the numbers have changed water is leaking somewhere in your plumbing system. Be sure water softners or filters are not operating.

Slow Leaks

Some leaks are too slow to move the dial. Turn off the water at the meter and wait a few hours. When you slowly turn the water back on, if the water rushed to fill the pipes, you may have a leak.

If a leak is detected at the meter

Turn off the house valve to determine if the leak is inside the house. This is usually located at a hose bib on an outside wall in a direct line from the water meter. If the meter dial still moves, you should investigate the possibility of a leak in the line between the meter and the house.

Irrigation System Leaks

Leaks in your irrigation system won’t always show on your meter due to their separate shut-off valves. To find leaks, walk your irrigation lines. Check for unusual wet spots, leaky or broken sprinkler heads, and use your meter to measure total irrigation use. Locate all hose bibs and check for leaks or drips. Replace the washers if there are any leaks.

Toilet Leaks

Check the toilets. Put dye tablets or a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Don’t flush. Wait 10 minutes. If color appears in the bowl, there is a leak in the toilet mechanism. Repair any leaks.

Monitoring Your Water Usage

See the photo of an example water meter. This picture will look the same or very similar to your meter. Different meters may look different, but the method of reading them is the same. To check your average water consumption, simply get an initial read and then an ending read. Only read the first 4 digits from the left on meters 1” and smaller (Most residential meters are 1” and smaller). There are lines above the digits used for reading on the digital screen. When reading meters 1.5” and larger we read the first 5 digits from the left.

How to calculate your water usage

  • Ending Read – Beginning Read X 100 = Cubic feet used
  • Cubic Feet Used X 7.48 = Gallons used
  • Gallons Used /# days between reads = gallons per day

Water Equivalents

  • 1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons
  • 100 cubic feet = 1ccf (standard billing unit) = 748 gallons
  • 1 acre-foot = 43,560 cubic feet = 325, 900 gallons

Water meter facts

  • One (1) cubic foot of water equals 7.48 gallons
  • The current low-flow leak detectors will be the red circle with the black line. It will spin as flow goes through, and on the new digital screens, a plus symbol appears when there’s flow.
sendud Meter face
iPeerl Meter face