How to Read your Meter

A water meter measures the amount of water entering your plumbing system. Most meters are located in boxes in the ground located near the curb. Open the box carefully and inside you will find the water meter. The meter dial can be found under the small, hinged cover. If the glass is dirty, wipe it clean to make it easier to read. Water meters used by the Clayton County Water Authority measures water usage in gallons. (Other water providers may measure in units of cubic feet.)

Where Your Water System Begins

Clayton County Water Authority provides service and maintenance up to, and including, the meter. Once water exits the meter, it enters the customer’s privately owned system and area of responsibility. If CCWA staff observes potential leaks or other problems with a customer’s plumbing, we will notify the customer. However, the customer is responsible for assessing and making any necessary repairs or calling a qualified plumber to do so on their behalf.

Reading Your Water Meter

Your water meter is much like your car’s odometer, showing the cumulative total of water that has run through your meter. The sweep hand, which moves like a clock hand, measure each gallon of water up to 10 gallons. Notice the first number on the right of the total is a stationary zero.

There’s no need for it to move because the sweep hand does its work. Except for the stationary zero, the reset of the number is read like an odometer. The movable dials to the left of the stationary zero read in 10s, 100s, 1,000s of gallons, and so on. A triangular dial near the center of the meter face is used for leak detection and will spin even if there is an extremely low flow through the meter.

If you have a water meter you can check your plumbing system for undetected leaks by following these easy steps:

Find your water meter. They’re often located in the front yard near the street.
Turn off all running water and water -using appliances, and don’t flush the toilet.
Read the dial and record the reading.
After 15 – 20 minutes, recheck the meter.
If no water has been turned on or used and the reading has changed, a leak is occurring. The rate (gallons per minute) of the leak can be determined by dividing the number of gallons by the elapsed time. (Check all TOILETS for silent leaks by testing them with food coloring. If the leak can’t be found and fixed, you should call a professional.)

Monthly Bills

The Clayton County Water Authority bills its customers each month based on the water usage registered on each account’s meter. For detailed instructions, check out this How to Read Your Meter form for more detailed instructions or view the video above.