Water Meter Information

Reading a water meter is a mystery to most people, but it’s not really very difficult once you know how. Most NPWA meters register water consumption in cubic feet. One cubic foot of water is equal to approximately 7.5 gallons of water. That means if the meter registers one hundred cubic feet of water, you have used approximately 750 gallons (100 c. ft. X 7.5 gallons = 750 gallons). The register on the water meter looks similar to the odometer on an automobile. It reads from left to right, and is never reset. If you want to know how much water you have used in a given period, just subtract the previous reading from the current reading.

Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) equipment has now been installed to read nearly all of our customers’ accounts. The AMR technology is designed to collect water meter readings in a reliable and cost effective manner using a radio signal interface device called a Meter Transceiver Unit (MXU). This MXU is connected to your water meter and is activated by either a hand held device or a vehicle-transported unit. With the latter, Authority employees are able to drive past a property, send out a radio signal to the MXU, and receive back your meter reading directly to the computer in the vehicle. This enables the Authority to read meters much faster and without stopping at each customer’s property. It is more convenient for our customers because NPWA employees do not have to enter customer homes or businesses to obtain a meter reading. Upon returning to the office, the information is downloaded for billing purposes. If for some reason a meter cannot be read, the estimated water usage bill will be generated using the best available historical records. In this case, all necessary billing adjustments will be made after an actual meter reading.

It is very important that water meters, meter pits, and remote sensing equipment be accessible to the Authority to ensure timely and accurate meter readings. It is the responsibility of the property owner to keep meter equipment free from any obstruction or impediment. All meter equipment is the property of NPWA and should not be tampered with or worked on by any unauthorized personnel.