How To Read Your Water Meter

The Auburn Water District encourages you to monitor your water use by regularly reading your water meter. Your meter is typically located in the basement on the side of the house closest to the street but could be in a utility closet.

The register located on the meter face records the number of cubic feet that have passed through the meter. The meter dial is similar to the odometer in your car and reads the water consumption and displays the cumulative total of the water that has flowed through that meter since it was installed. As the water flows through the meter, internal mechanisms turn to register usage by the cubic foot. Much like an automobile or other mechanical device, the meter wears down with time and can eventually stop registering flow completely. The meter cannot spin faster than the water going through the meter.

The District is in the process of updating the meter inventory and as a result, there are several types of meter registers in the system.  The new water meters are digital E-Coder displays that require a brief exposure to a light source in order to see the display. Simply shine a flashlight on the photovoltaic cells and the meter will “wake up”.

Full instructions on how to read your E-Coder Register can be found here.  The meter electronics include flow direction arrows, lead detection capabilities and the flow rate going through the meter. The display shows the current read with comma separators and decimal place, after initial activation this screen displays for 20 seconds before toggling to the rate screen. When the screen toggles, the rate of flow is visible and is shown in cubic feet per minute for four seconds. Then it toggles back to the read screen.

Below is the older T-10 Register previously installed in the District. In the example below, the reading is 38,785.64 cubic feet. The red triangle on the meter face is a low flow indicator and spins anytime water is passing through the meter.

You should record your meter reading at regular intervals (weekly or monthly), especially if you have an automated sprinkler system. Subtract the new meter reading from the previous reading to calculate your water consumption for the interval of days between readings. The MaDEP regulations state, averaged over a one year period, individuals should use no more than 65 gallons per day.

Any questions, please feel free to contact the Water District at 508-832-5336.