The Highland County Water Company, Inc. will read your meter every month unless issues such as weather prevent us from doing so. Our meters are read by a service person that will drive by your location, does not usually stop, by the use of a radio transponder that is attached to the meter and picked up by a computer within the vehicle. It is important to remember this when mowing your lawn or placing things like landscaping around the meter lid. If the unit/transponder is damaged in any way the cost will be billed to the customer. We need to have access to the meter at all times for reading, checking for leaks, or shutting off between owners, etc.
The meter location is outside your home, usually out near the road way, but not always. Many of our water mains were installed in the 1970’s across country so your meter could be elsewhere. The water tap (meter) is installed 10 to 12 feet from the water main or if the water main is across the road it would be 10 to 12 feet in on the property from the road right of way which is dictated by the Township, County, or State. Newer water taps (meter) settings are installed near the driveway, 10 to 12 feet from edge if possible. We provide a flag to the new customer when they apply for the water to place where they wish and we try to place it there if possible. The service line from the water main to the water meter setting is 1” polyethylene, iron pipe size. This is also used for the stub (pigtail) left for the customer to connect to with their service line to the dwelling.
The customer can check their meter if they wish by removing the lid carefully. There is a wire that goes from the lid to the meter transponder that could be damaged if not careful. Again this is how the company reads the meter monthly. When you look down in the meter pit (crock) you will see the meter which is being held by what we call the setter. You read the meter as you would an odometer on a vehicle. When water is being used the numbers on the dial will change. This is how you can determine if you have a leak in your service line or home. If you know you are not using water and these numbers are turning, even the slightest, you have water going somewhere. It is possible to isolate the location if you have a shut off valve at the dwelling to turn off. By turning this off, if it holds, you should only have water going into the service line between the meter and that valve. If your meter is turning your leak is in that service line.
Remember the Highland County Water Company, Inc. will read your meter every month unless weather or unforeseen circumstances occur. If this would happen we may estimate the billing for that month. It is not necessary for you to look at the meter but it can be accessed. Our suggestion is to make sure the lid is secure on the ring on the crock, do not hit the lid/transponder with the mower, and in the winter do not remove the lid if it is below freezing. If weather is below freezing and you remove the lid it may cause the meter to freeze. Any damage that occurs to the water tap, lid, transponder, meter or equipment in the meter pit will be billed to the water customer.
If you need further assistance please call our office at 1-800-533-6839 or 937-393-4281.