City of Palm Bay, FL
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Standard Meter
The Palm Bay Utilities Department currently utilizes two types of water meters - a standard meter and a radio frequency meter. You can use your water meter to determine if you have a leak. Below are the steps you should follow to determine if you have a leak:
Using a Standard Meter to Check For Leaks
- Verify reading on your meter.
- Lift small lid in center of meter box
- Raise black lid on meter
- Read digits from left to right
- Compare current reading to the reading on your last bill. If the reading on your bill is higher than the current reading, then your meter may have been misread. Contact Customer Service so that we can verify and correct the bill if needed.
- Note the position of the red triangle. Is it moving?
NO - water is not passing through the meter. The most common explanations for your high bill are: running toilets, outside water use, additional guests in your home, filling the swimming pool, etc. If you continue to experience higher usage and cannot determine the source, please contact Customer Service at 321.952.3420.
YES - water is passing through the meter and you may have a leak.
- Make sure all water is turned off inside and outside your home.
- Check the meter again. If red triangle is still moving, shut off the house valve. Wait 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes the red triangle is still moving, you could possibly have a leak in your service line between the meter and your home. If the red triangle has stopped moving, the leak probably exists inside your home. Common reasons include: dripping faucets, showerheads and/or toilets. A toilet tank test can be done by putting food coloring in the tank of each toilet. Wait approximately 15 - 30 minutes and check the toilets to see if any color has seeped into the bowl. If so, your toilet flapper may need to be repaired or replaced.
You can obtain a leak detection kit for your toilet from our Customer Service Office.
Leaks on the customer's side of the meter are the responsibility of the homeowner, and it is recommended that the homeowner contact a licensed plumber to make repairs.