Slow the Flow—Water Education Resource
Activity Adaptation
This activity is difficult for students
who live in homes where water
meters are inaccessible (many
apartments, townhouses). As
an alternative, all students can
complete the front side of the
worksheet, and you can ask for a
few student volunteers who can
read their water meters at home,
complete the rear side of the
worksheet, and share their results
with the class.
How-to
CAP Activity: Monitor Your
Meter
What you do:
• Print CAP Activity: Monitor Your Meter Student Worksheet for
each student and distribute.
• Print the CAP Activity: Monitor Your Meter Teacher Fax Sheet.
• After your class completes the CAP Activity, mark side one of
the worksheets using the CAP Activity: Monitor Your Meter
Teacher Answer Key.
• Summarize the collected data on side two with your class,
and record on your Teacher Fax Sheet. Fax to FortWhyte
Alive.
What students do:
• Complete the Monitor Your Meter Student Worksheet.
• Record meter readings at their home using the CAP Activity:
Monitor Your Meter Student Worksheet.
• Have parents/guardians sign activity sheet.
Goals:
• Students will learn how to read a water meter.
• Students (and parents/guardians) will learn how to detect a
home water leak using their water meter.
Slow the Flow—Water Education Resource
Student Worksheet
CAP Activity: Monitor Your Meter Student Worksheet
Student Name:_______________________________ Date:__________________________
These water meters show water consumption in litres, but
water meters in Winnipeg measure consumption in:
• cubic meters (1 m3 = 1,000 L)
• cubic feet (1 ft3 = 28.3 L) or,
• gallons (1 ga = 4.55 L)
This meter measured water consumption by a house in Winnipeg. Read the meter and answer
the following questions. Show your work.
1. How much water did this family use between Monday at 7:00 AM and Tuesday at 7:00 AM? 2. How much water did this family use this week (Monday to Sunday)?
3. If this family consumes 300 litres per person per day, how many people live in the house?
4. If this family installs a low-flow toilet which saves 280 litres per day, how much water, in
litres, will they save next week?
1
Slow the Flow—Water Education Resource
Student Worksheet
CAP Activity: Monitor Your Meter Student Worksheet
Student Name:_______________________________ Date:__________________________
Reading your home water meter can help you to be a Leak Detector! Even a small hole about
15 millimetres in diameter wastes an average of 113 litres per hour! Leaks also greatly increase
how much money your family has to spend on their water bill.
How to read your water meter:
• Locate your water meter. They are normally found in basements or crawl spaces. Ask a
parent or guardian for help if you need it.
• If your meter has a lid, lift it.
• When you read your meter, write down every number from left to right exactly as it
appears on the “odometer style” display of your meter’s dial. This includes all zeros at the
beginning and the black number(s) at the end.
• Check to see what units the meter uses: they could be cubic metres, gallons or cubic feet.
• Be sure to include units after each recording!
• Take one reading (“Before” Reading) before a block of time when no one in the house
will be using water. After 2 hours or more (use a stopwatch or timer), take another
reading (“After Reading”). If there is a difference between these numbers, it means there is
a water leak!
“Before” Reading: __________________________
“After” Reading: ___________________________
Yes
Is there a leak?
No
A. If there is a leak, how much water is being wasted?
“Before” Reading – “After” Reading = ____________________________
B. How much water is being wasted per minute?
Amount from Part A ÷ Time between readings (minutes) = _____________ per minute.
Convert your final answer to litres, using these The water leak is wasting:
conversion factors.
• cubic meters 1 m3 = 1,000 L
• cubic feet 1 ft3 = 28.3 L or,
• gallons 1 ga = 4.55 L
__________ L/minute
2
Slow the Flow—Water Education Resource
Answer Key
CAP Activity: Monitor Your Meter
Teacher Answer Key
Note: These water meters show water consumption in litres, but
water meters in Winnipeg measure consumption in:
• cubic meters (1 m3 = 1,000 L)
• cubic feet (1 ft3 = 28.3 L) or,
• gallons (1 ga = 4.55 L)
This meter measured water consumption by a house in Winnipeg. Read the meter and answer
the following questions. Show your work.
1. How much water did this family use between Monday at 7:00 AM and Tuesday at 7:00 AM? 623 litres (1873 - 1250)
2. How much water did this family use this week (Monday to Sunday)?
4239 litres (5489 - 1250)
3. If this family consumes 300 litres/person/day, how many people live in the house?
4239 ÷ 7 = approx 600 L/day = 2 people (daily use approx. 600 L divided by
300L/person/day)
4. If this family installs a low-flow toilet which saves 280 litres/day, how much water (in litres) will they save next week?
280L x 7 days = 1960 L/week
Slow the Flow—Water Education Resource
Fax Sheet
CAP Activity: Monitor Your Meter
Teacher Fax Sheet
To: FortWhyte AliveFax: 895-4700
No. of Students in Class:_____________
School: ___________________________________ Class: Address: __________________________________ Phone: Teacher: _ _________________________________ Fax: Summary of Results
How many students read their water meter at home? __________
How many students detected leaks by reading their meter at home? ___________
How much water was wasted on average by leaks? ________ L/minute