To help you understand how much water your home or business uses, you will want to know how to read your meter. This also will help you to identify leaks and discover ways to conserve water.

Step 1: Find your meter box, which is typically located in the front of the property near the street. Often the box is in a direct line with the main outside faucet. It is housed in a concrete box usually marked "water." Carefully remove the lid by using a tool such as a large screwdriver. Insert the tool into one of the holes and pry the lid off.

Step 2: Once you open the meter box lid, lift the protective cap on the meter. On the face of the meter there is a large dial and a display of numbers. For the typical residential meter, each rotation of the dial measures 10 gallons.

Read the number display from left to right. Be sure to include the stationary zero (the blue zero in the photo at left). This is your meter reading. All meters measure water in gallons. However, Fair Oaks Ranch Utility charges for the amount of water consumed based on the number of 1,000 gallons used during a billing period. Compare that reading to what your bill states as your current or present reading.

Next steps: Keep in mind that you might be checking your meter on a date different from the one used for billing. This could result in a difference in the amount you find, compared with the amount on which your bill is based. However, if your reading is considerably higher than what is on your bill, check for a leak or try to determine the source of large water use. If your reading is significantly lower than the reading on your bill,