Water Only Meters

A water only meter is a secondary meter that is installed in a home at the option and expense of a property owner. A water only meter allows for the metering of water that is used exclusively for irrigation systems, outside spigots or connections for a swimming pool or hot tub.

Customers who have a water only meter may see a reduction in their billings compared to a traditional water & sewer meter installation, as the water use registered through the water only meter is not charged the corresponding sewer volume rate.

Water only usage is itemized separately on utility bills, so customers have the opportunity to easily track their usage patterns, which may be beneficial for water conservation efforts.               

An example billing for a customer that uses 50 units (aprx. 37,000 gallons) of water during a quarter for household and irrigation purposes (45 units household and 5 units irrigation), would see a charge of $324.50 for the combined water and sewer volume portion of the bill.  If that same customer had a water only meter installed on their irrigation system, the combined water, sewer and water only volume charges would be $304.00, saving the customer $20.50 for the billing period.

All plumbing changes and water only meter installations must be in compliance with the  State Plumbing Code. Depending on the type of building, either a Residential Permit or Commercial Permit for plumbing will be needed.  All work must be inspected and approved by the Building Department before the water only meter will be installed by the Utility. 

An application for a water only meter is also required to be submitted to the Utility, which is outlined further in FAQ #5 below.

There are a number of upfront and ongoing charges related to installing water only meters, including:

Plumbing permit: $85.00 (minimum - based on fixture count)

Plumbing supplies and labor: This cost is widely variable and dependent on the extent to which existing plumbing needs to be modified or updated and whether contracted labor is used to complete the work, but could range between $200 - $1,000 or more. 

The installation of a meter horn is required for all new and modified meter settings, which can be supplied by the Utility at the Owners expense.

For an example of the required plumbing layout, please click here.

Meter Installation Charge: $45.00

Quarterly Fixed Charge: $9.00 ($36 annually) for standard ¾” meter

1. Determine whether the installation of a water only meter would be cost effective for you, based on the costs outlined in FAQ #4 and the example billing in FAQ #2. 

2. Obtain and review the Water Only Meter Application and Terms from the Utility Commission. 

3. Obtain all necessary permits from the Building Department, have all necessary plumbing modifications made and have the work inspected by the Building Department. For an example of the required plumbing layout, please click here.

4. Submit a completed Water Only Meter Application to the Utility for review.

5. Upon approval, the Utility will contact the Applicant to schedule an appointment for meter installation.