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To read a Neptune E‐Coder water meter:

1. Shine a flashlight on the photoelectric eye (look for the flashlight symbol) to activate the screen. The screen eventually will begin to flash between “Reading” and “Rate”.
2. The “Reading” is all water that has passed through the meter in its lifetime – measured in gallons. This is the reading used for billing purposes. Charges are based on units of 1,000 gallons of water used. Be sure to look for the decimal point when reading (see Photo 1). You can calculate how much water is used in a given period by recording the reading at the beginning of the period and at the end of the period. The total water used during that period is:
   • End reading – Beginning reading = Total water used during that period in gallons.
   • Example for a Residential Service:
   • Initial reading collected on 4/1/2013: 005234.12 gal
   • Second reading collected on 5/1/2013: 009438.23 gal
   • 9438.23 gal ‐ 5234.12 gal = 4204.11 gal water used between 4/1/2013 and 5/1/2013. This calculates to be 4,204.11 gallons used during this period. Note that for billing purposes the amount of water used in gallons is rounded down to the nearest 1000 gallons so 4,204.11 gallons becomes 4,000 gallons billed.
3. The “Rate” is the amount of water (in gal /min) that is passing thru the meter at that moment. The ”Rate” can be used for leak detection: if all water in the building is shut off and a rate is observed this means that water is flowing through the meter. Since all water is shut off there must be leaking somewhere in your system.
4. There is a leak indictor faucet icon (see Photo 2) built into this meter, that will either be on solid or flashing indicating that there has been a leak detected. The solid faucet indicates a continuous leak occurrence over the last 24 hrs. Check the last digit on your screen to see if it is incrementing. If so, check your interior and exterior faucets, the valves in your toilets, and look around the exterior of your home for signs of surface water. The flashing faucet indicates an intermittent leak occurrence over the past 24 hrs. Check your interior and exterior faucets and the valves in your toilets to see if leakage is occurring.
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Due to the naturally hard water that is produced from the regional underground water supply, many Bentwater residents have installed water softeners. Based on testing by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the hardness level of our water is at 161 parts per million (ppm) or 9.3 grains per gallon. Hardness is a measure of calcium carbonate. Your water softener setting should be set for 9-10 grains of hardness. Adjusting your water softener to a higher setting, such as 25 or more may increase the sodium content in the water that could cloud glassware, depending on the type and quality of the glass. Dishwashers should be operated on economy, or air dry cycle; the hot drying cycle could increase the possibility of cloudiness. If necessary, check your softener operation with a professional. If you are considering the purchase of a water softener, you should consider that water in Montgomery County has high iron content. Our iron level is at 0.142 ppm.

It only takes one storm to change your life and community. Tropical cyclones are among nature’s most powerful and destructive phenomena. If you live in an area prone to tropical cyclones, you need to be prepared. Learn more about Hurricane Preparedness. Hurricanes.gov/Prepare