Author Topic: I need help finding my water meter!  (Read 31054 times)

SavingMon(k)ey

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 300
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Denver, CO
I need help finding my water meter!
« on: May 28, 2015, 07:33:02 PM »
I have been thinking about water conservation. I was looking at our water bills and the water company just keeps charging us for 3000 gallons most months, sometimes 2k, sometimes 4k. I was going to check out our water meter and do some logging myself but... I CAN'T FIND THE WATER METER FOR MY HOUSE! Ok, so I'm not stupid. I've looked all around the house for something on the wall, in the ground, covered. I inspected the front yard, the back yard, the back fence from the alley, the sides, the driveway. I've looked inside the house, too, where the main water line comes in and the shut-off valve is located, under the basement bathroom sink. NOTHING. Where else could it be??? Ideas???

Frankies Girl

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3899
  • Age: 86
  • Location: The oubliette.
  • Ghouls Just Wanna Have Funds!
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2015, 07:39:06 PM »
Mine is in the front yard, in the grassy easement between street and sidewalk. It's in the ground, covered by a black plastic round-cornered rectangle about a 1 by 1.5 feet. It is close to the edge of our property's side, basically:


_______________
| X                      |
|                         |
|                         |
|                         |
|                         |
|                         |
|                         |
_______________

forummm

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7374
  • Senior Mustachian
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2015, 07:44:57 PM »
Usually they are on the ground near the road, within 15 feet of the road. If you can't see yours, it's probably buried under dirt, leaves, or whatever. If they aren't coming out to open it to read it this can happen. Another way they read it is by driving by and holding out a device that reads the meter wirelessly. If you have a metal detector, you could find it pretty easily. Otherwise you might need to poke around out by the road.

Ask a neighbor where theirs is. Yours should be roughly the same distance from the road.

SavingMon(k)ey

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 300
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Denver, CO
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2015, 07:57:25 PM »
Nothing. I found one two houses down a few feet from the road like forummm said. A round cast-iron cover. Not one that can easily be opened. Interestingly, couldn't find the one for the house next-door either. It probably IS buried under the xeriscape done by previous owners.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2015, 07:59:29 PM by SavingMon(k)ey »

Chesterfield

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 34
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2015, 10:04:47 PM »
If you are worried that you have a slow leak in your toilets, easy to check. Put food coloring ( just a few drops) in the tank, Check  in the bowl several hours later. If you have not flushed, there should be no food coloring in the bowl. If there is, you have a leak, and need to replace some toilet parts. Slow leaks in toilets add up to a lot of water. It is like leaving the faucet on a slow drip.

MDM

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 11473
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2015, 10:22:03 PM »
Call the water company and ask them.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3053
  • Location: Emmaus, PA
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2015, 07:46:14 AM »
Mine is in the basement, with a little beige box labeled "SENSUS" on the front porch that they read it with.

teen persuasion

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1225
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2015, 07:52:10 AM »
Mine is in the basement, right next to the main shutoff, just after the waterline enters the house.  A few years back they added an external meter on the front of the house (just above the entry point), so they can read it without leaving the truck.

Greg

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1448
  • Location: Olympia, WA, USA
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #8 on: May 29, 2015, 09:07:25 AM »
First place to check is with your water utility company. Ask them about it as if you're going to be fixing some things.  Also, consider calling 811 to have your pipe located, the meter should be on it somewhere.  As if you were going to do some digging.

nedwin

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 141
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2015, 09:41:28 AM »
Do you have service from Denver Water?  Where I lived in Denver the water meter was as several others explained - near the street under a round cast iron lid.  The lid had a round, black plastic thing on it, which is the way Denver Water collects your water use data.  It may be buried, but i would be surprised if the utility allowed that.  Do as Greg suggests and call for a locate, pretending that you are going to be digging in the area.  Beware, however, that they will spray paint your grass and landscaping where the pipes and wires are.  Where I live now the meter is in my basement where the water line comes into the house.

Capsu78

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 764
  • Location: Chicagoland
Re: I need help finding my water meter!
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2015, 11:32:46 AM »
Look for where your water enters your house- it should be in a straight line between your foundation and the street.  Walk the line outside your home.
Calling them to challenge the accuracy of your read out should bring someone out to check things over as well, usually at no cost to you.  I would say "I wonder if water is leaking out somewhere...can you come check?"  Public Utilities usually like to jump on problems quickly before SHTF.