Water FAQs

Read Your Meter

Notice that your residential water meter has only one dial. The dial has a sweep hand which measures water usage in gallons. One complete revolution equals ten gallons of water used. The odometer-type register in the middle of the dial registers the hundreds of gallons used. To read the meter you record the numbers from the odometer-type register. Since the odometer registers in hundreds of gallons you do not record the last two numbers. (The last number is a permanent number and the next dial registers tenths.) The remaining dials register the actual (in hundreds) water used. Subtract the previous reading from the new reading and you will know how many hundreds of gallons of water you have used. This meter is reading 3692.

Note: You may have a meter that measures in cubic feet. If so, on cubic foot of water equals 7.5 gallons of water.

How to Turn Your Water Off at the Meter

This is a quarter turn valve. Turn the valve such that the top is in line with the meter and service line for 'ON'. For 'OFF', turn the valve across the service line (with the locking ears aligned). Caution: Do not turn this valve with excessive force. This could damage the valve, resulting in replacement charges to the customer.

Leak Indicator

If you suspect you have a leak, make sure everything is turned off then watch this small triangle to determine if water is going through the meter. Even the smallest leak or flow of water through the meter will cause this indicator to turn, often when no movement is visible on the large dial.

Our mission is to support our community. We are committed to provide prompt, safe, clean, reliable utilities at the lowest cost possible to serve the best customers in the world.

Sheffield Utilities
300 N Nashville Ave
Sheffield, Alabama 35660

Phone: 256.389.2000

Report an Outage: 256.389.2478