The meter test, step by step
Stop all water use
Turn off faucets, the dishwasher, the washer and the ice maker. Make sure no one flushes.
Open the meter box
Lift the lid carefully and wipe the dial clean. Watch for insects or debris.
Read the dial
Find the low-flow indicator, a small triangle or dial that spins at the slightest flow. Note the reading.
Wait and read again
Wait 30 minutes without using water. If the number advanced or the indicator moved, water is leaking.
A moving indicator with everything off confirms a leak somewhere past the meter. If it holds still, the leak is not constant and you should look at the other usual suspects below.
Toilets lose the most water for the least noise
A toilet with a worn flapper can leak hundreds of gallons a month without making a sound. Put a few drops of food coloring into the tank, do not flush, and wait 15 minutes. If color shows in the bowl, the flapper is not sealing.
A new flapper is a cheap part that most homeowners can swap. If the color stays put but the toilet still hisses, the fill valve may be at fault, and our toilet repair crew can handle either.
Sprinklers and hoses
- A zone valve stuck partly open can run water into the lawn for days
- A broken sprinkler head leaves a soggy patch or a geyser
- A hose bib that drips adds up over a month
- An automatic timer set after a power outage may run extra cycles
Turn the irrigation off at the controller and rerun the meter test. If the dial stops, the irrigation system is where the water went.
Reading the result
| What you see | Likely cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Indicator moves, everything off | Leak in a line, fixture or toilet | Dye test, then call for detection |
| Indicator stops after irrigation is off | Sprinkler leak | Check zones and heads |
| Indicator never moves, bill is still high | Past use, a fixture that leaks only when used, or a billing issue | Review the bill and ask the utility |
| Meter spins even with the main valve closed at the house | Leak between meter and house | Call a plumber |
That last row is the one that surprises people. A buried line between the meter and the building can leak for months without any wet spot showing, and it is a water service line repair matter.
When the meter might be the problem
Meters can misread, though it is rare. If your meter test shows no movement, your fixtures are all dry and the bill is still far above normal, ask your water utility to check the meter and review the reading history.
Photograph the dial on the day you test it. A dated picture gives the utility something concrete to compare with its own record. We do not speak for any utility on billing or adjustments, so ask yours what options exist.
Lakewood Water District: what you are responsible for
The customer's responsibility in the Lakewood Water District starts at the customer side of the water meter, so pipes from the meter to the building are yours to maintain and repair. Check your bill for your provider, because Parkland Water District and Summit Water and Supply Company serve parts of the area as well.
If a leak is gushing, the district offers 24-hour emergency shut-off, and emergency water shutoffs have no fee. Use your own main valve first if you can reach it, and call the district if you cannot.
Source type: Lakewood Water District customer information.Found a leak. What now?
- Shut off the mainClose the main valve at the house to stop the loss.
- Note what you sawRecord the meter reading, the time and where the water showed.
- Call for detectionA plumber can pinpoint a hidden leak without opening everything.
- Plan the repairGet a clear price before work starts and ask what a permit may involve.
We dispatch to Lakewood and nearby University Place and Steilacoom, and our leak detection service finds the source without needless digging.
High water bill questions
Enough to change a bill noticeably, because a constant trickle runs day and night. Toilets are the first thing to dye test.
Not if every fixture is off. A slowly turning low-flow indicator means a small leak, and small leaks are the easiest to ignore and the costliest to leave.
The shutoff valve at the meter is utility-owned, so do not operate it. Use the main valve at your house, and call the water district if you need an emergency shutoff.
Sometimes, but not always. Well-drained ground can swallow a leak without a surface sign, which is why the meter test matters.
We do not review bills, but we dispatch plumbers to DuPont to find leaks. Your own city water system handles billing questions.