Water Leaks Cost Money
Reading Your Water Meter
These pictures show how much water is wasted from
dripping or running taps. If you have a leak, have it
repaired at once. Your water meter measures all water
used, even the drips, and you are charged for the
amount of water you use so the repair of small leaks
now will save you money.
Your water meter reads in cubic meters: 1m =220
gallons. Your consumption is displayed much like an
odometer on a car. Every 100 litres of water consumed
causes the sweep hand to make one revolution, and
causes the measured total to increase by 0.1 cubic
meters (the black wheel on the odometer). Ten turns
will move the first white wheel one increment.
Drip:
A 1 mm stream* wastes
100 liters of water in 24
hours or 3,000 litres in
one month. That’s 660
gallons.
3
*Approximate width of the
tip of a ball point pen
Dribble:
A 1.5 mm stream wastes 400
litres in 24 hours or 12,000
litres in one month. That’s
2,640 gallons per month.
Some meter faces may look different, for example the
low-flow indicator may be a red triangle on the left side.
Drool:
A 3 mm stream wastes 1600
litres in 24 hours or 48,000
litres in one month. That’s
10,560 gallons.
The average family of four in Canada consumes 36 cubic
meters (7,900 gallons) of water per month. Use your
meter to find out how much you consume. Knowing how
to read your meter allows you to monitor your water
consumption and detect leaks in your plumbing.
Monitoring Water Use
Write down your meter reading at a set time of the day.
Write another reading the same time the next day. The
difference is your water consumption for that 24 hour
period. You can calculate how much water various
activities and appliances use in the same way by taking a
meter reading before and after the activity.
Leak Detection
Turn off all water fixtures in your house, including
humidifiers, air conditioners, and ice makers. Then
watch the low-flow indicator on your meter. If the
triangle (red or white) is moving clockwise, you have a
leak.