Guide · meters
How to read a water meter
Short answer
Read the register (the odometer-style digits) from left to right, include any fixed zeros printed after it, and apply the multiplier printed on the face (×10, ×100). Note the unit (gallons or cubic feet) and write the full number in your log, at about the same time every day.
The parts of a meter face
- Register (totalizer). Rolling digits, like a car's odometer, counting the total that has ever passed through the meter. This is the number you log.
- Sweep hand. A large hand that works like a clock's minute hand. One full turn is a set amount, often 10 or 100 gallons, and it shows the fine digits the register hasn't rolled over yet.
- Flow rate indicator. On some meters, a needle that shows the current flow in gallons per minute, like a speedometer.
- Low-flow indicator. A small triangle, star or wheel that turns with even a trickle, handy for spotting leaks.
- Unit and multiplier. Printed on the face: “U.S. Gallons”, “Cubic Feet”, “×10”, “×100”.
Fixed zeros and multipliers
The same six rolling digits can mean very different amounts. These examples follow the Washington Department of Ecology's meter-reading guide:
In your log, either record the full number (12,345,600) or the register digits with the multiplier written in the column heading, and never mix the two in one column. The meter usage calculator works with whichever you choose, as long as it's consistent.
A reading routine
- Read at about the same time each day, so daily figures cover about 24 hours.
- Read every digit left to right; don't drop leading zeros in your head and then add them back wrong.
- If a digit is between two numbers, record the lower one; it hasn't fully turned over yet.
- Write it down immediately, with the time, and compare it with yesterday before you walk away.
- If the new reading is lower than the last one, stop and check. It's a misread, a reset or a rollover.
Source, master and customer meters
| Meter | Where | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Source (well) meter | On the well discharge, before storage | Water produced: daily production, and with a pump hour meter, pumping rate |
| Master meter | Where water enters the distribution system, or where purchased water comes in | Water delivered to the system |
| Customer or lot meters | At each home, lot or building | Water used by each connection; the sum shows how much reached users |
Comparing them is how you find losses: see the water loss calculator. Pair the source meter with the pump hour meter in the well pump GPM calculator.
Questions
Do I include the sweep hand in my reading?
For a daily log, record the register digits the same way every time; that's enough for daily usage. The sweep hand adds the fine digits for short tests, like timing a pump run or checking for a leak.
What does ×100 on the meter face mean?
Each count on the register is 100 units. A register showing 123456 on a meter marked "U.S. Gallons × 100" means 12,345,600 gallons.
How do I convert cubic feet to gallons?
Multiply by 7.48. One cubic foot is about 7.48 US gallons, so 1,000 cubic feet is about 7,480 gallons.
The little triangle or star on the dial is spinning. What does that mean?
Many meters have a low-flow indicator that turns with even a trickle of water. If it spins when nothing should be using water, you have a leak or a running fixture downstream of that meter.
Sources
Last reviewed September 28, 2026. Rules change and states add their own; confirm with your state drinking water program.