In an apartment or condominium, the water meters will likely be located in a utility room in the basement or at ground level. They might also be located directly on the building’s exterior. [2] X Research source If your water bill is included in the cost of your rent or homeowner’s association dues, the usage for your entire building will be read from a single meter. Make sure to check with the provider first to find out if it is okay for you to access the meter.

Never attempt to open your meter box by hand. Snakes, rodents, insects and other dangerous animals have been known to nest inside water meter boxes. Go ahead and wipe the underside of the cover clean of dust, dirt and cobwebs while you have it off.

An analog water meter may be covered with a protective cap you will need to lift in order to see the meter’s display. Some digital meters are light activated and won’t show your water usage until you shine a flashlight on them. [5] X Research source Keep in mind that you will be held liable for any repairs or assessments if the meter is damaged.

If you’re interested in tracking your water usage, consider keeping a utilities journal and taking readings at regular intervals as well as checking the monthly statements that your water purveyor provides. A record of past readings can also come in handy for detecting potential leaks.

For instance, if the display reads “012340” and the sweep hand is on the “5,” then the meter is actually at 12,345 cubic feet or cubic gallons. Round down when the sweep hand rests between numbers. For more precision, note the small tick mark that the sweep hand is pointing to - on this meter these will be tenths of a cubic foot or cubic gallon. So, the reading from above becomes 12,345. 0. But if the sweep hand was pointing to the second tick mark the reading would be 12,345. 2.

Your digital meter may go back and forth between showing the usage and flow rate, or the two readings may be separated into different sections of the display. [8] X Research source

Water usage is most commonly measured in either cubic feet or gallons. One cubic foot may correspond to anywhere from 1–8 gallons (3. 8–30 L), depending on how the utilities codes are written where you live. [10] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U. S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source

Reviewing your readings over the course of several months will help you spot patterns in your usage, which can be helpful if you’re taking steps to conserve water. The more frequently you check your water meter, the more likely you are to catch leaks before they get serious.

Water charges reflect the number of units used per month. Each unit is typically around 100 cubic feet, or somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 or 800 gallons (3,000 or 3,000 L). If there’s any uncertainty about how usage is measured in your area, simply subtract last month’s reading from this month’s and review the utility codes for your area to see how it’s broken down.

If you have an old bill on hand, you can work in reverse by dividing the amount charged by the number of units you used that month to arrive at the average cost per unit.

Another way to identify a potential leak is by watching the flow indicator. Most water meters have a small symbol (usually a triangle, star or gear) somewhere on the display. The flow indicator will spin when a leak is detected. [12] X Expert Source Mike GarciaLicensed Landscape Contractor Expert Interview. 20 November 2020. You can also use a stethoscope to listen for leaks, which often sound like a humming or hissing noise. Have leaks repaired right away. When left unaddressed, even a minor leak can become a major expense.

Keep you and your family’s habits in mind when coming up with ideas for how to lower your water bill.