How to Read Your Meter

The standard register for water meters is the straight read dial. Straight read dials are read exactly as the numbers appear on the dial. The reading of the pointer is for testing purposes and to determine leaks. Each number represents 1/10 of a cubic foot of water.

Metering Facts

• Your water meter is a simple machine. It runs only if water is passing through it. If there is no water moving, the meter cannot operate. All water used or misused goes through the water meter.
• In most cases your water meter is read every three months, if we can access it. It is required that your meter be read at least once in a 12 month period. Your water service can be turned off if an actual reading does not occur in a 12-month period.
• You are billed in units of one hundred cubic feet of water and sewer. Therefore, your real usage is your billed consumption times one hundred.
• 1 cubic foot = 7.5 gallons of water (approximately)
• The water meter is furnished by the Department of Water, but it is the property owner's responsibility to make sure it is not damaged and is protected from freezing. If it is damaged due to the owner's neglect, the owner must pay for the meter. If the meter quits working due to normal usage, the Water Department will replace it at no cost. Meters can also be changed for other reasons and legitimate purposes necessary for effective management.
• Since 1972 all new water meters installed on upgraded or new services are placed in a meter pit called a meter box. If your water service has been replaced from the property line into the building, since 1990 it has been required that the meter be moved out into a meter box.
• The property owner must ensure that the meter is accessible for reading at any time. If the meter cannot be accessed by the city meter reader, the billing will be estimated. This could lead to billing and usage problems if it continues to happen over a long period of time. Thus the requirement for an actual reading in a 12-month period.

If there is nobody home during the day that could allow a meter reader to enter your house, you might consider installing your meter in an outside meter pit. You may also want to consider installing a touch pad meter reader on the front side of your home. Contact Water Revenue at 937-333-3550 to get information on having a touch pad reading device installed.

Automatic Meter Reading Program

The City of Dayton is currently upgrading water meters with Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology. This will enable the City to more efficiently manage the water system and give you better service.

These new AMR water meters will allow the City to read your meter without entering your home or disturbing you in any way, except when there may be a problem with your service. In order to provide a reliable, high quality water supply, the City of Dayton continually upgrades and improves our water system and facilities. The installation of water meters with AMR is an important part of upgrading our water system.