Meter Reading

City service workers read your meter periodically to determine usage. From/To service dates listed on your bill show the time period covered by your billed usage. Being able to read your own meter is a great way to track your consumption, check for leaks, and help you conserve. In most cases, your water meter is located close to the street just behind the curb in the front of your building. It is in a ground level concrete box and has a concrete lid. You can remove this lid by inserting a large screwdriver in the hole in the lid and lifting carefully.

To read a typical City water meter, simply read across the numbers in the box. The current reading for the sample below is just over 4076234 gallons. (Because the far right number in the box is fixed at zero, the ones place is read using the dial pointer.) If the reading taken previously was 4062113 you would have used 14,121 gallons. Since the City bills in 1,000 gallon units, this bill would be for 14 units. The triangle-shaped spinner indicates water movement and is useful for checking leaks.