Meter reading

Finding the meter

Every property in Minneapolis has an indoor water meter. It sits on the main water pipe that comes in through the floor of your property. You will find it:

• In your basement — on the street side of your property
• If you don't have a basement, look on the first floor of your property 

Reading the meter

We read your water meter once a month in one of two ways.

• From our office, using the remote reading device. 
• At your property, looking at the meter.

Most of the water meters in Minneapolis have a remote reading device.

What the meter tells us

The meter measures and reports how many units of water you are using. 

See which type of meter you have and how to read it

Schedule a water meter-reading appointment

How we measure and charge you for water use

We measure your water usage in units of consumption.

• One unit is 100 cubic feet, or about 748 gallons.
• A container 5-feet long by 5-feet wide by 4-feet high holds one consumption unit.

If it seems high

Your bill will show higher than usual water consumption if you:

• Have leaky plumbing
• Bring more people in your home
• Forget to turn off your outdoor hoses
• Experience business growth or change

It will be higher in the summer months if you:

• Water your lawn or garden
• Your business has water-cooled air conditioning

Sometimes we:

• Estimate your consumption too low and need to adjust your bill to reflect the amount of water you've actually used.

See how your consumption affects your bill