Your water meter
A water meter is the device that measures the volume of water used by a customer. The size and location of the water meter depends upon the type of property it serves.
Most of the residential meters for the Las Vegas Valley Water District are located near the front yard or in the front sidewalk. The meter lid will be marked "water" or "LVVWD."
The Water District uses Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to get near real-time water usage data from the its 431,000 meters. AMI replaces the need to drive every street to collect data since the system collects it remotely.
If AMI detects unusually high water use, customers with accurate contact information will receive a text alert or automated phone call from the LVVWD recommending they inspect their property for a potential leak or malfunction. The notifications will help minimize the potential for unexpectedly high water bills and help customers avoid excessive use charges.
To ensure you receive automated notifications about high water use, sign up for My Account. If you already have an online account, log in and confirm or update your phone number and email address.
Meter sizes
Most residential water meters are 5/8 to 3/4 inches. Larger properties may have a 1-to-2-inch meter to provide the appropriate capacity.
In contrast, a large resort hotel with thousands of bathrooms or an industrial complex with numerous businesses require more capacity and pressure, and thus have larger meters.
You can determine the meter size for your property by looking at your Water District bill, which includes the meter number, size, current reading, the date the meter was read, previous reading and usage in thousands of gallons.
Rates and charges
Water District customers pay for water used as well as service charges from both the district and the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). The service charges help pay for the construction and maintenance of the water treatment and delivery system.
While all residential customers pay the same amount for each of the four water tiers in the Water District rate structure, business customers with larger meters may use more water before moving to the next tier. These large-meter business customers also pay significantly more in Water District daily service charges and SNWA surcharges.
The SNWA infrastructure charge is based on meter size. The larger the meter, the more a customer pays. This charge funds several large water system projects, including a low lake level pumping station to protect Southern Nevada during severe drought conditions.
Water meter replacements
As part of the Water District’s regular maintenance program, older-generation meters are retired and replaced with new meters to help preserve metering accuracy and ensure compatibility with current meter-reading technology.
Water District customers are not charged for this replacement.
Frequently asked questions about meter replacements
A meter replacement does not affect most customers' water bills. However, much like a clock, a mechanical water meter can slow down with age, resulting in a meter that may under-register water consumption over time. When an under-registering meter is replaced, the new meter's improved accuracy may result in higher water bills.
Customers are encouraged to monitor their water bills for several months after a meter replacement. If higher-than-normal water consumption is observed, customers should inspect their property for possible leaks, malfunctioning irrigation devices or faulty indoor fixtures and correct any issues.