Water might seem free when it comes out of the faucet, but cleaning it and getting it to your home costs money. That’s why we get a water bill.

A water meter is a tool that measures how much water each home uses. It might be in the basement or outside in a small pit. A meter reader is a person who checks it regularly to see how much water is used. The utility sends each home a water bill based on the amount used. The money families pay helps clean the water, send it to homes, and pay the workers who make it all happen.

Water is a bargain. The average price of water in the United States is less than $4.00 for 1,000 gallons. That means one gallon of water costs less than one penny. How does that compare with one can of soft drink?

There are two kinds of water meters used in North America.

One looks like a traditional clock with hands. The other looks like a digital clock with numbers.

Water meters measure in gallons, cubic feet, or cubic meters. The water meters shown here are measuring in gallons.

Let’s say the readings above are for the Smith family. The first water meter shows last month’s reading. The second water meter shows the reading for this month. To find out how much water the Smith family used, subtract the first reading (7,654 gallons) from the second reading (10,664 gallons).

10,664 – 7,654 = 3,010 gallons.

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