Water Meters

Water meters are essential for accurate and fair billing, and they help customers monitor water use, detect leaks and conserve water.

All new water services must be metered. The Utility supplies the meter, and the property owner is responsible for installing it before the water is turned on.

• Residential properties receive a standard 5/8" meter with 3/4" tailpieces and gaskets.
• Small multi-unit buildings and small businesses typically receive a 3/4" meter.
• Larger commercial, industrial or multi-unit properties receive a meter sized based on an evaluation of expected flow.

Meters must be installed in a location that:

• Is at the point where the water service line enters the building
• Is directly after the building’s internal shut-off valve
• Protects the meter from freezing
• Provides clear access for reading, inspection, testing and repairs

Learn more about Connecting to Municipal Water.

Some meters display numbers similar to a car odometer. The register will indicate whether the measurement is in imperial gallons or cubic metres (1 cubic metre = 220 Imperial gallons).

Most models have a low-flow indicator, usually a small red triangle, that spins when even a small amount of water is moving. If it moves when no water is being used, you may have a leak (often a running toilet).

Reading your meter regularly helps with leak detection, water conservation and understanding your bill.

To calculate daily water use, you can record the meter reading at a set time and record it again exactly 24 hours later. The difference is your daily consumption.

Average daily consumption for a residential customer in CBRM is 0.7 cubic metres, 700 litres or 155 gallons per day.

There are several meter models in the CBRM. The instructions below describe the most recent types.

These registers include multiple small dials. The first five represent whole units, and the last three show tenths, hundredths and thousandths.

Watching the final dial (1 litre increments) can help identify small leaks.

Newer meters have an LCD display and an internal transmitter. Shine a flashlight on the icon to activate the screen.

The display shows a 9-digit reading in cubic metres, with the last four digits representing decimals (e.g., 12345.6789 m³).

The Water Utility reads 28,000 meters every three months, over 112,000 readings per year, using different methods based on meter age.

Older meters (over 20 years old) require an inside read, where staff enter the home or leave a blue card if no one is home.

Meters installed 5-20 years ago use an outside visual display or touchpad, allowing readers to view the display or collect the reading with a handheld probe.

Newer meters, installed or upgraded within the last five years, use a radio transmitter that sends the reading to handheld equipment, allowing staff to collect data simply by walking or driving past the property.