How to Read a Water Meter

If you want to estimate the amount of water you use, write-down or take a photo of your meter and then seven, thirty or ninety days later compare the readings. By dividing the readings over that many days you will be able to estimate the average flow per day. If you find this is too complicated, email or call the two readings into the District along with the time interval between them and we'll help you decipher the readings. Email at: Greater Augusta Utility District or call (207) 622-3701.

Converting cubic feet into gallons: 100 cubic feet = 748.1 gallons

The District uses two different types of water meters.

The most common meter used at residential customers' homes is the 5/8" meter by Sensus. See picture to right.

These meters are mechanical. As water flows through the meter, it spins gears. The rotation of the gears spins a counter. The counter output information is in cubic feet. The display is an arrangement of dials and a counter that looks like the odometer in a car. Meters wear out over time. Most are on a 12 year replacement schedule.    

The District is replacing worn out mechanical meters with electronic meters.  The new meters are iPerl meters made by the Sensus Corporation.  These meters measure the passage of water through a known orifice and measure the displacement of a magnetic field to determine the amount of water that passes through them. These record usage in cubic feet on an easy to read digital display.