Comments on: Drip, Drip, Drip: Water Meters Leak RF; Cheat Customers

By: jesse

jesse — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 20:46:48 +0000

In reply to oingo boingo. I came here looking to find a way to catch the municipality in jacking up my bill which I have reported 3 months now having 600 gallons in one day. 500 in one day in another month. They are doing this to my bill at about the 3rd week in. I use less than 1000 gallons a month typically I use 650-780 gallons a month. But now I am paying for 2000 and 3000. My cost has doubled and I report it to them every time. This last time they are telling me it is inline with my average use. They are not subtracting the dates reported for meter tampering by a water worker employee. The thing is the big usage is on only one day a month, a random day towards the end of my billing cycle. I keep a schedule so I know where I was and every time I was not home. The day before 60 gallons and the day after 45 gallons. This rules out a leak. It is tampering by the water company. I could put a RF cage over top and block the signal so they can't jack up my meter usage without coming to the property. Put up a camera and record who shows up, when and if the meter usage goes up on that day. The RF cage does not disrupt the meter calculating flow or operation only the signal sending and receiving ability. What I really want to know is a way to let the signal leave the meter so they get their data but no signal be received by the meter. So they can't jack up the reading without coming out and I get them on video doing it.

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By: oingo boingo

oingo boingo — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 02:50:28 +0000

If you thing your reading is high, check your meter for the “multiplier” setting. It can be set from 1-10. The digital part of the meter is just strapped on top of an analog meter, and it reads a spinning magnet which measures the water.

In most cases the multipler should be “1” but if they configure your meter wrong, that may result in large bills and readings. Most meters also can only be programmed over infrared, not RF. So someone has to physically come out to the meter to change settings.

By: Veg Vega

Veg Vega — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 22:19:41 +0000

wow, let me tell you, im in lv (nevada).. my reading went up at first twice the month after the city changed my olschool reader to a digital (city front desk have said that the meter itself wasnt changed), the second month it jumped 3 times, month later 5 times.. thats not all, i do my own tests now (30k gallon went somewhere) well the reader is digital no need to fill gallons, i filled 3 cup about 700 ml or 24 oz or since reader measures gallon 0.1875 gallon, and the reader jumped 2. gallon (1000% over-reading true consumption).. i did this test twice same outcome.. then i went to complain because the city never called back the week i tried through phone.. well there they insisted the new reading was true consumption and i raised my voice (when i know it isnt true consumption) so when it came to talk with a supervisor the backed with sending someone to check my reader (he’s comming tomorrow) so i went back out to the curb to do a test again after my loud complain at city front desk, so strange now my test doesnt jump up 2 gallons per 3 cups (it jumped 0.2 gallon in which correct if you include the city’s 2% right to misread) im probably going to be charged for the test they’ll do tomorrow but im out letting you know (i use to work with supplying liquid in the us armed forces and i know the size of 30k gallon and how much it’ll take to fill that up with 300gpm pump or handpump) withother words im saying someone did tamper with the reader and im not sure who did but if i have to spend my retirement hawking over my reader to see how much i spent washing my hands id say THIS ISNT TRUE READING!

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 12:50:54 +0000

In reply to waterfairy.

What is the brand of meter installed at your property?

If your flow indicator is moving when nothing is running, yes, you do have a leak. If your flow indicator is moving after you have turned off your main shut off valve at your home, your leak is between the home and meter in the ground. If it ceases movement after you have turned off your main shut off valve at your home, the leak is inside your home. A plumber would be required for either as they are both considered to be the customer’s side.

The only way to know how your billing cycles work in terms of automatic reading is to ask your provider. Some are on automated readings with no meter reader required, others have meter readers use handheld radio devices to get reads, and others still may be physically reading the meter. I would request that somebody come out and do the following: get a visual read including all digits (starting zeroes and ending zeroes as well!), check for flow when nothing is running, confirm reading after running water through meter (is meter registering usage accurately?), perform shut off valve test if there is flow, supply dye tabs, and if it is an option, download reading data or record flow over a week or longer with some other method (flow recorder).

Lastly, as a note, if you actually are consuming 60 to 90 thousand gallons of water, you would not necessarily see signs of a leak or water pooling anywhere. That is a very common misconception.

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 12:41:58 +0000

In reply to Jayann. If your flow indicator continues to spin after you have shut off the water at your home's shut off valve, this indicates a leak between your home and the meter in the ground. You need to call a plumber. It is EXTREMELY rare that the meter is the issue in an event like this.

By: waterfairy

waterfairy — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 13:21:33 +0000

In May it will be a year ago that I wrote a detailed and 4 page letter to the supervisor of public utilities of my area; it addressed the various issues that I have with the water company. I got a phone call from an engineer to answer my letter. I said I want an answer in writing. I am still waiting… In Feb of this year I recontacted that same engineer, all the while continuing my reports to the supervisor’s office. The engineer said he would get a new meter installed. It appears to be a smart meter. I monitored its readings for a week mornings and evenings. It reads about 65 cubic feet which is congruent with my estimates of use. My last bill however is for almost 60000 gallons of water! I am a one person household; the water company tells me i have a leak; that would be one heck of a leak!….65 cubic feet at 7.48 gallons per cubic foot real use vs. 60000 g’s; i would have a lake here and could start a fish hatchery. my bill before the installation of the new meter was for a whooping…92000 gallons. My bills are for 2 months use. I have neither pool nor Jacuzzi; i have water saving devices, do very little laundry and do not use the dishwasher. I have been trying to get this resolved since…2009! What on earth are they basing their billing on?
how can there be such a discrepancy between meter reading and actual billing? I also would like to know whether the meters can be read from their offices, maybe downloaded without driving by?
I was now contacted by the principal engineer, who believe it or not said that i must have a leak.; the meter would be running if i did when all is turned off; it does only a tiny bit, in no way accounting for 92000 g’s or 60000g’s loss! i wish to be educated so i can have a rational conversation with these people. i would appreciate some professional input. thank you.

By: John

John — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 02:46:03 +0000

Jayann,
A practical way to check your water meter is to isolate the possible water leaks.
First check that any toilets are leak free. You can put dye tablets or a few drops of food coloring into the water (flushing) tank behind the toilet. Don’t use that toilet for several hours (or overnight if possible). A little later check the water in the toilet bowl. If the dye coloring shows up in the toilet bowl, then there’s a leak. Next make sure that any outside faucets are turned-off and drip-free. Then check that all interior plumbing faucets are leak free.
Next go to the water meter and write down the meter reading. Then shut-off the water directly at the meter…There’s a shut-off valve on the utility side (incoming flow) to the meter. Sometimes it’s covered with several inches of soil. And sometimes, a special wrench is required to turn-off that valve. You can buy the wrench at hardware, big box, or plumbing stores. Or maybe get a neighbor to help turn off the (water meter) valve.
Once the water meter valve is turned-off, all water going to your property and thru the meter is stopped. The meter reading ought to remain steady and the leak indicator stop. After a few minutes or more, you can slowly turn the water back on. If all toilets, and plumbing at the house are not being used, then the meter reading ought to remain the same. If the digital readout is moving at all and water at the house isn’t being used, then yes there’s a leak in the plumbing lines between the meter and your house. The new electronic water meters can detect extremely tiny leaks, such as a slowly leaking toilet.
If the meter is actually leaking or defective, I would suggest you take a picture of the meter for evidence. Then file a claim against the utility demanding they refund the over-billing. Hope this helps.

By: Jayann

Jayann — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 00:39:37 +0000

We have a Neptune water meter. The leak indicator shows a continueous leak. Our water billets have doubled. We turn the water off and the meter is still registering. There is no water in the crawl space or the yard. Could the meter be faulty. We hate to have the expense, and tear up the lawn if it could be the meter.