Reading Your Meter

The City Water Meter Readers read both analog and digital meters at customer premises every month. This is a critical step in tracking and accurately billing for water that is used. Meters are read every business day in some part of the city so your reading will not be calculated based on the calendar month.

See below for instructions on how to read your analog or digital meter. As you proceed, please note that all City of Robinson meters measures the amount of water used in gallons. Be aware that the amount you are billed will not match the reading exactly unless you read the meter at the same time as the meter reader.

Analog Meter

Your analog water meter has a set of numbers similar to the odometer in your car, and the numbers spin as you use water. Simply read the numbers to know how many gallons of water you have used. In the picture to the top right (note: not all meters look like this one pictured), the meter indicates that 00000 gallons of water have been used. This number represents a starting point. At the end of the month, read the meter again. You will then subtract the number from the beginning of the month from the number you read at the end of the month. When writing down the beginning and end of the month numbers, do not use the last two numbers in your reading. 

For example: At the beginning of the month your meter states 789628. You will drop the 2 and the 8 which will give you 7,896 as your beginning of the month reading. Then at the end of the month, the reading is 794128, drop the 2 and the 8 and your end of the month reading would be 7,941. You will then subtract 7,896 from 7,941. Once you have that amount you will add two zeroes to the end of that number and that is the number of gallons used.

The meter face has a leak indicator. This indicator may look like a triangle or gear on the of the meter face. To determine a leak, turn off all water in your home or structure. If the indicator is moving, water is going through the meter, which means that a leak is possible.

Apartment Submetering

Apartment complexes, condominiums, multiple use facilities, and manufactured home communities can submeter or allocate billing of water and wastewater rates to tenants. There are rules and regulatory practices established by the Public Utility Commission of Texas that must be followed.

The local utility is not directly involved in these matters and has no authority in dispute intervention or resolution. The Public Utility Commission of Texas has a consumer complaint hotline: 1-888-782-8477.