How A Water Meter Should Work

Water meters measure the amount of water that flows into a structure like a house, store or office building. The point of the water meter is to measure consumption for conservation and billing purposes.

The Mechanics

Water entering the meter flows through the mechanism and drives a circular piston in an off-centre path. Once round the measuring chamber represents the flow of a known quantity of water. The action of the piston is directed towards the gear train that drives the digital display that tells us what the consumption is.


If any solids come into the chamber, they are caught by a filter to prevent any damage to the mechanism. The filter is capable of holding quite a bit of solid material without the accuracy of the meter being affected.


Water meters are built to very exacting standards and are extremely accurate and will measure the lowest possible flow rates. The clear digital display for the reading is very easy to read and transfer to a record. The meter is not affected by the position it is in which makes it much easier to find a suitable locatuion for installing it.

Water meters require no maintenance except possibly to keep the display window clean so the meter can be read easily.