How to Read the House Water MeterInstructions
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1
Locate your water meter. In many warmer climates, the meter is located outside near the curb, sometimes housed in a concrete box or buried flush with the ground in the yard. In colder climates, you'll most likely find the water meter inside in the basement near the main shutoff valve.
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2
Read the digits under the words "cubic feet" if your meter is one of the newer, straight-reading meters. Most meters are of this design and are quite easy to read. The number you read will be the number of cubic feet of water that has passed through the meter since it was installed (most water companies bill in units of 100 cubic feet).
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3
Read each of the dials as a separate number if you have a round-reading meter. The small dials are labeled "100,000" to "one foot," and the lower of the two numbers that the needle is between is the number you read for that dial. Read the "100,000" first, then the "10,000," then the "1,000," all the way down to "one foot."
