The water meter in your home or business is owned and maintained by the New Ulm Public Utilities Commission Water Department. The water meters currently installed in New Ulm are mechanical water meters. Water flows through the meter’s strainer into the measuring chamber. In this chamber there is a disc that is forced to rotate by the flowing water. There is a measuring spindle connected to the disc which converts the cyclical motion to rotary motion that turn the meter gears and records the measurement of the water on the top register face of the meter. The meter gears can only move when water is moving through the meter. All manufacturers of water meters must meet the American Water Works Standard for accuracy to be certified accurate before New Ulm PUC Water Department will purchase and install their meters.

All AWWA certified water meters are designed to accurately measure the flow of water. The meter cannot register if there is no water flowing through the meter. In fact, these meters are designed to measure less water flowing through the meter as it ages. The meters cannot “speed up” or register a higher reading than what is actually flowing through the meter or run backwards. The reading from the dials on the head of the meter is always the official reading of the amount of water used.

If you feel your water consumption is higher than it should be, check for leaks. To detect a leak, you should first make sure that all water fixtures are not using water. Next, go look at the meter register at the top of your water meter. There is a small dial low flow indicator on every meter. It is usually a red colored wheel, watch that small dial and see if it is moving. If this small indicator is moving while all the faucets and appliances are shut off, then there is water moving through the meter. The most common appliances that leak water are toilets (flappers get old and wear out), faucets, or water softeners. When these appliances leak, they typically are leaking non-stop 24 hours every day and even small, slow leaks can increase your monthly water bill by thousands of gallons in one month.

Editor’s Note: The City of New Ulm presents a weekly column highlighting activities in different departments in the city government. Once a month the city will answer questions from readers. Questions on New Ulm city issues can be sent to comments@ci.new-ulm.mn.us.