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."

Meter Replacement Program

The Las Vegas Valley Water District is replacing older mechanical water meters with new ultrasonic meters as part of a multi‑year replacement program. This upgrade will improve long‑term accuracy, enhance leak detection, and support water conservation.

Meter replacements will occur gradually over many years. During this transition, some customers will still have older mechanical meters, while others may already have the new ultrasonic technology installed. There is no cost to customers for these replacements.

The new meters have no moving parts, can detect extremely low flows, and maintain accuracy for up to 20 years, with an estimated 20-year battery life. LVVWD will replace 40,000 to 45,000 meters over the next four years, and approximately 25,000 meters annually thereafter, until all 380,000 small-diameter meters are upgraded—at no cost to customers. After that, meters will be updated on a 15-year cycle.

Frequently asked questions about meter replacements

LVVWD staff will knock on the door before beginning work, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. After installation, customers will receive a door hanger with instructions, including how to run a large faucet for a few minutes to clear air from the lines. Installations typically take 10 to 15 minutes; however, the Water District strives to notify customers in advance if longer interruptions or repairs are expected.

Because older mechanical meters may under-register usage as they age, some customers may notice a slight increase in recorded water use after replacement. The new digital registers provide clearer readings and improved leak detection. Customers are encouraged to monitor their water use online and routinely check for household and irrigation leaks.

As a meter is replaced, water service is temporarily interrupted, which may introduce some air into customers’ plumbing systems. To purge any air, simply run water through a bathtub faucet for a few minutes.

Every LVVWD employee performing meter replacements will always carry an official LVVWD ID and arrive in vehicle clearly marked with the LVVWD logo. For more details, visit the How to Identify Our Employees page.

If you have questions concerning a recent meter replacement, you can contact Customer Care 24 hours a day at 702-870-4194.

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.

An example of where on your water bill you can find your meter size. three-fourths inch size called out for emphasis

AMI technology

The Water District uses Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to get near real-time water usage data from 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.

Rates and charges

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.

Learn More About Rates & Charges