Current status: The last water meter installations will be completed this summer.
Your meter is in a concrete or plastic meter box at the property line. If you are unsure where your meter box is located, please contact CVHA at cvhapres@gmail.com.
You may need a small screwdriver to open the meter flip cover. The water meter can be used to check for leaks on the homeowner side of the box by turning off all water in the house and looking at the meter. If the small silver dial is turning, then water is being used. Even a leaking toilet will cause the small dial to turn. The large red pointer reads in gallons, it will move from say 5 to 6 as one gallon of water is used. If you have a leak please repair it, as even a small leak can add up over a year. If your dial or small silver wheel is moving and you cannot discover why, please email CVHA at cvhapres@gmail.com. We will have someone contact you that will be able to help find the problem.
If you have a water emergency, the water can be shut off to the house at the meter box by turning the valve located before the meter. This valve is easily recognizable because there is an arrow engraved on the top of valve that show flow direction. In the closed position, there are two holes that will align that allows the valve to be locked in the off position. It is very easy to turn, but a small crescent wrench or medium size pliers may be used. If you need assistance, email CVHA, and we will gladly come by to show you the procedure. No great amount of force is needed to perform this operation and since the apparatus may be damaged by excessive force, email if you have any problems.
The meter boxes themselves rely upon freeze protection by being partly installed below the ground freezing level. This allows air, warmed by the ground, to circulate in the box and keep the meter from freezing. The meter itself has a pop off bottom that will release to prevent any damage to the meter itself should it freeze. At first, insulation was put in the box to insure freezing would not occur. It is now the 2nd winter without insulation and no freeze damage has occurred. If the you (the homeowner) is more comfortable installing insulation, you may do so.
The homeowner should keep the area around the meter box free of vegetation and the box free of obstruction. This will make it easier to find the box and perform any maintenance or reading of the meter.
Currently, the meters are being used to monitor for leaks or verify leaks that are on the home owner’s side of the meter. Once all the meters are installed we will begin tracking water loss by adding all the individual water meter usage and subtracting that from the source meter at the pump house. This data will be used for WA State reporting purposes as part of the Water Use Efficiency Program, also known as the Municipal Water Law.
05/26/2015, g.castellane