Water meters record your home's water usage for a given period in gallons or cubic feet, depending on the utility agency's preference. This meter contains a round gauge with numbers that resemble an odometer on a car, or it may be digital, which allows the water agency to remotely read the meter. In most cases, the water meter is located on or near the main water shut-off valve for your home.
Step 1
Walk out the front door of your home. Look for the front-most hose bib on the exterior of your home and walk toward the street, canvassing the front yard for an area that is flat and has an iron, cement or plastic lid in a concrete box flush with the ground; it may be overgrown with grass or other plant life. Insert a tool into the hole or lift the handle that allows you to raise the lid safely and view the meter.
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Step 2
Look for the main water supply line on the exterior front or sides of your home if you do not find a box in the ground. Examine the area where other utilities enter the home. Check for a water supply line -- larger than a gas line -- that comes up from the ground and goes into the house.
Step 3
Step onto the sidewalk or street. Some water utility companies install the water meter inside a pit or box flush with the ground near the home's property line in the public right-of-way area -- in the street or in the sidewalk in front of your home. Look for a cement or iron lid you lift up to access the water meter.
Step 4
Check for the water-main shut-off valve inside your home in the basement or garage to locate the water meter if you haven't found it outside and live in a region where bad weather can freeze water pipes.
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