Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Water

• Your rights as a consumer
• Meter reading

Although you use water on a daily basis, how much do you really know about it as a service? This section will provide you with information about your water service, such as your rights as a consumer and how to read your water meter.

Your rights as a consumer

There are a variety of water standards that affect you each day. These water standards include areas such as the quality of water, water bills and service disconnection. At the most basic level, you have the right to water that is:

• “Potable.” Potable means the water you receive is drinkable.

• Of the quality that allows you to be able to bathe, cook and wash dishes and clothes.

• Delivered at the curb at a pressure of at least 35 pounds-per-square inch.

There are regulations that also apply to the bill you receive from your investor-owned water company. Each water bill you receive must contain the following information:

• Your name and address.

• Name and address of the utility company.

• Address where payments should be sent.

• Billing date and due date.

• Amount due if paid by or after the due date.

• Miscellaneous charges and credits.

• Actual or calculated meter readings of current and previous month.

• Dates of service covered by the bill.

Reading your water meter

Learning to read your water meter can help you monitor your usage and verify that the information on your water bill is correct. Most water meters are located in the basement, near the front curb or on an outside wall of a home.

There are two different types of meters that both measure in hundreds of cubic feet (Ccf). The first meter has one dial with six digits toward the bottom, similar to a car’s mileage indicator. The second type of meter looks like a series of small clocks with hands that alternate turning clockwise and counterclockwise. The dials can be read by starting with the highest numbered dial (usually 100,000 or 1,000,000) and ending with the dial marked 1. If the pointer is between two numbers, the lower number is the one to mark down. For example, if the pointer is between two and three, you record two since it is less than three.

Determining the number may seem tricky when the pointer is between zero and another number. If the pointer is between nine and zero, you record nine because the zero acts as the number 10. However, in the case where the pointer is between zero and one, you would record zero because it is less than one.

Determining the amount of water your household uses on a monthly basis is easy. Pick a date to take a reading of your meter. Then on the same date the next month, read your meter again. Subtract the first reading from the second reading to determine the amount of water that was used during the month.