Water Meter Reading Guide

This guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to easily read and interpret water meter readings.

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Table of Contents

Water Meter Register Information Analog Meter Register Digital Meter Register Meter Reading Best Practices How to Read a Water Meter Step 1: Locate your water meter Step 2: Identify the Unit of Measure Step 3: Read the Odometer Step 4: Interpret the Sweep Hand (if applicable) Step 5: The final meter reading Meter Reading Examples ABB Actaris AMCO Badger DLJ Elster FRS Series Hersey Innov8 Invensys Kent Master Meter Metron Farnier Neptune Niagra Octave Precision Rockwell Schlumberger Sensus Various Meter Brands w/ the Same Register

Water Meter Register Information

There are two types of water meter registers:

Analog register
Digital register

2. Each meter register contains the following:

Odometer
Sweep Hand (analog register only)
Low flow indicator

3. The sweep hand and/or dial is not a multiplier.

4.The low flow indicator may also be referred to as a leak detector in manufacture literature.

Analog Meter Register

The sweep hand on the dial measures water usage in gallons or cubic feet.
One complete rotation equals 1, 10, or 100 gallons, or cubic feet.
Analog registers include a low flow indicator that moves as water flows.
The low flow indicator might be a small triangle, star, metal gear, or sweep hand.
Analog dial registers can have one or multiple dials and sweep hands.
The numbers on the odometer roll upward, from bottom to top.
The static number will correspond to the sweep on the register (if applicable).
The meter serial number will be located on the top of the lid, underneath the lid, or stamped into the union on the body of the water meter.

Analog Meter Reading Example:

The sweep hand is on the "1" so the read is 1,356,411.
The last number on the right is a static zero (does not change). When the sweep hand is on the "3", the read will be 1,356,413.
When the sweep hand is positioned on a hash mark, a decimal is added to the meter reading after the whole number where the sweep hand is located. For example, if the sweep hand is at the mid-point hash mark between 1 and 2, the reading would be 1,356,411.5.

Digital Meter Register

The digital meter needs light for activation so you may need to shine a flashlight on the meter register solar panel.
Digital meter typically displays the reading in a straightforward numerical format.
The digital display alternates between the meter read and flow rate.
The reading is shown in gallons or cubic feet, depending on unit of measure.
The flow rate indicates the number of gallons per minute flowing through the meter.
The low flow indicator is a digital icon.
The meter serial number will be located on the top of the lid, underneath the lid, or stamped into the union on the body of the water meter.

Digital Meter Reading Example: The read is 11467. No decimal required in this meter reading.

Meter Reading Best Practices

Wipe dirt and debris from the meter register. The odometer and sweep hand should be clearly visible and readable in the meter reading photo.
Photo should include the reading and the sweep hand.
Glare free photos - verify all numbers on the register face, including the dial of the sweep hand are visible in the photo.
Check if the last digit is transitioning from one number to another.
The sweep hand will replace the solid static digits on the meter register.

How to Read a Water Meter

Step 1: Locate your water meter The water meter is usually located between the building and the main street, near the curb or sidewalk. It is found inside a concrete box or utility vault with a plastic or metal lid. In cold climates, the water meter may be found inside of the building, in a water closet, riser room, or basement.
Step 2: Identify the Unit of Measure Located the unit of measure displayed on the meter register. The meter may indicate measurements in Gallons, cubic feet, or cubic meters. Unit of measure - the unit of measurement will vary by water meter. A water meter may measure usage in gallons, cubic feet, or cubic meters. Make sure you know what unit of measure the water meter uses to accurately interpret the reading.
Step 3: Read the Odometer The odometer, a number wheel on the meter register, tracks and displays the total consumption as flow occurs. Read the digits left to right - when reading the register, make sure to read the digits from left to right. This is important because the first digit on the left represents the largest unit of measurement. Check if the last digit is transitioning from one number to another. In this instance, the last digit shifts from 1 to 2, so you should use 1 in the meter reading.
Step 4: Interpret the Sweep Hand (if applicable) The meter register may have a static number on it, corresponding to the sweep hand. Replace the printed zero with the position of the sweep hand. Only use the sweep hand when there is a printed zero or multiple printed zeros on the register. There could be 1, 2, or 3 static zeros printed on the meter register. Sweep dial - some meter registers may have static numbers representing in black. The reading on the sweep hand will indicate the measurement values for static numbers on the register. Dials - some meter registers may have dials that are part of the meter reading or acting as the slow leak detector. Decimals - some water meters use decimals to indicate fractions of a unit of measurement.
Step 5: The final meter reading Total Meter Reading = 8548162

Meter Reading Examples

ABB


Meter Reading: 2815505	Meter Reading: 030038850

Actaris


Meter Reading: 10210675	Meter Reading: 10214100

AMCO


Meter Reading: 29754985	Meter Reading: 3871547

Meter Reading: 573390	Meter Reading: 18535920

Badger


Meter Reading: 5152833	Meter Reading: 4590842.6

Meter Reading: 383461.7	Meter Reading: 7118559.9

Meter Reading: 4004527	Meter Reading: 3072950

Meter Reading: 6744428.98	Meter Reading: 651185.7

DLJ

Meter Reading: 23026845

Elster


Meter Reading: 6371655	Meter Reading: 2838482

Meter Reading: 46500	Meter Reading: 6803.7

FRS Series


Meter Reading: 337837.1	Meter Reading: 29954.8

Meter Reading: 406733.4	Meter Reading: 1194717.8

Hersey


Meter Reading: 17730.6	Meter Reading: 23481196

Meter Reading: 133527660	Meter Reading: 4315050

Meter Reading: 83684023

Innov8

Meter Reading: 70169.9

Invensys


Meter Reading: 19023227	Meter Reading: 19023282

Meter Reading: 141537040	Meter Reading: 1240374.6

Kent


Meter Reading: 4852983.6	Meter Reading: 12034380

Master Meter


Meter Reading: 1586.0	Meter Reading: 1332484.7

Meter Reading: 1097233	Meter Reading: 85733.3

Meter Reading: 711968.9	Meter Reading: 228181.7

Metron Farnier

Meter Reading: 1715890.2

Neptune


Meter Reading: 1656983.5	Meter Reading: 231641.1

Meter Reading: 299019	Meter Reading: 46133540

Meter Reading: 666274.6	Meter Reading: 46150.97

Meter Reading: 602968.1	Meter Reading: 256599.88

Meter Reading: 1433169.4	Meter Reading: 2738478

Niagra


Meter Reading: 95056.2	Meter Reading: 3258191.6

Meter Reading: 8485512.3	Meter Reading: 1819697

Octave


Meter Reading: 29728331	Meter Reading: 51141516

Precision


Meter Reading: 1015943.5	Meter Reading: 6727848

Rockwell


Meter Reading: 2424543.9	Meter Reading: 22316990

Schlumberger


Meter Reading: 3295804.9	Meter Reading: 47815073

Sensus


Meter Reading: 36938770	Meter Reading: 49580

Meter Reading: 8953620	Meter Reading: 1808010

Meter Reading: 14740182	Meter Reading: 5690500

Meter Reading: 2943121.5	Meter Reading: 388584.8

Various Meter Brands w/ the Same Register


Meter Reading: 2077.8	Meter Reading: 36660.2

Meter Reading: 38400.1	Meter Reading: 59966

Meter Reading: 469589.6	Meter Reading: 799563.6

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