How to read your water meter.
A water meter measures the amount of water that you use, and is read every two months by a representative of Los Angeles County Waterworks District. If you understand the language of your water meter, it can tell you a great deal about water usage in your household. For instance, it can indicate if you have a leak. Here are some simple steps for checking your water meter for billing accuracy and water leaks.
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Most meters are located in a concrete box in the front yard, near the street. Look for a concrete lid on the ground with the words "water meter" or in a meter pit with a cast iron lid. Remove the lid to expose the meter, which is about 12 inches below the ground.
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Your water meter gauge should look similar to the one shown at the right. Lift the hinged meter lid if the face of the gauge is not showing. Find the 6 digits on the meter which together look like a car odometer. The digits are read left to right. Please disregard the two black numbers because they measure in units less than 100 cubic feet (you are billed for every 100 cubic feet of water used - 100 cubic feet is equal to 748 gallons).
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By reading your water meter, you can determine how much water you have used over a period of time. The illustration shows a meter reading of 146 which is the total number of units of water recorded since the meter was installed. If the meter shows 156 one month later, you used 10 cubic feet (ccf) of water during the one month period. To convert to gallons, simply multiply the number of ccf by 748 gallons to get the number of gallons used.
Example: 10 ccf x 748 gallons/ccf = 7,480 gallons
You can also determine how much water is used for a specific task such as watering your lawn. Record the reading on the meter before you begin the watering cycle then record it again at the end of the cycle. The difference between the two readings tells you how much water was used for the task.
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How to check for leaks.
A simple procedure can be used to detect leaks that may exist anywhere in your home or business.
- Turn off all water inside and outside, making sure that no one uses water during the test period.
- Read your meter. Mark where the sweep hand is located on your meter.
- Wait 15 to 20 minutes and see if the hand has moved.
- If the hand has moved, there is a leak somewhere.
Common sources of leaks are a toilet that is running, a constant drip in a sink or outdoor faucet, a loose or dripping washer connection, a home water treatment unit, an evaporative cooler unit, or a sprinkler system.
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How to shut off water at your meter.
Should you need to shut off the supply of water to your house (to repair a leak, etc.) there is usually a customer valve right at the water meter. The customer valve typically looks like a brass handle located on the houseline side of the water meter. Often this handle will be painted blue or have an arrow stamped into the top indicating the direction of flow. Normally this handle can be moved or turned by hand and only moves a quarter of a turn or 90 degrees. You can check to make sure that the water is off by operating a faucet or hose bib. To restore the water supply to your home, simply turn the handle back to the position you found it.
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