Water Meter FAQ:

City of Welland Water Meter Installation Program

If your question is not listed below, please submit it to watermeter@welland.ca and we will respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible.

FAQ

Why do I need a water meter?

Council has passed By-law #2004-119 requiring all households in the City of Welland to have water meters installed.

Historically, it has been the view that people should be able to choose whether or not they are on a meter.  Why has this changed?

The subject of water meters has been brought to customer’s attention more recently and people are more educated about them.  As time has progressed, society has realized that water is a valuable resource that must be conserved and managed effectively. 

How much will it cost be to have a water meter installed?

There is no charge to Welland residents to have a water meter installed.

Who do I call to get a water meter installed?

Please call Welland City Hall at (905) 735-1700 ext. 3000 for more information regarding water meter installation.

Where in my home is the meter installed?

Water meters are installed indoors, usually in a basement utility room where the water service enters the house or building.

Does the City need to come into the house to read the water meter?

No.  Most homes have a wire connecting the water meter to a touch-pad located on the outside of the house.  The City will use a device to read the water meter at the touch-pad.

Why have I not saved under the water meter system?

If your household is consuming more than 22 cubic meters per month then you’ll be paying more now than under the previous flat-rate system.

I keep my water use to a minimum yet my water bill is high. How come?

You may have a leak in your plumbing, a running toilet, or a leaky faucet. Some activities, such as doing many loads of laundry or watering your lawn contribute to extraordinary rates of consumption.

How do I know if I have a leak?

The easiest way to determine if you have a leak is to turn off all taps and make sure there is no water being used in any other way (including humidifiers, air conditioners, and ice machines).

Go to the water meter and if the red triangle located at the top of the meter is continuing to spin there is a leak somewhere in your plumbing.  If it is spinning, check your toilets!  A toilet is the most common place to find an undetected leak.

How can I check for a leaky toilet?

Adding food colouring to the Tank is one way of checking. If you have a leak, the food colouring will spread into the bowl, causing it to change colour as well.

How does the use of a water meter promote water conservation?

Typically, metered residents use their water more sparingly because they now have to pay for all the water they use.  It is easy to catch problems like leaks or dripping taps by watching your water bill.

How can I decrease my water consumption?

Install a low flow showerhead.

Don’t use toilets to dispose of dry waste such as paper towels or makeup pads.

Use a bucket with a sponge and a hose with a trigger-nozzle to clean your car. You will save around 300 litres of water compared with keeping the hose running the entire time.

Make sure you are only running your dishwasher and washing machine with a full load.

How can I monitor my water use with the water meter?

Take the odometer reading at the beginning and end of each period.  The difference in your reading is your consumption for that period.

Calculate how much water is used by appliances and activities.  Record the odometer before and after the activity.  The difference is your consumption.  Remember to turn off all taps and hoses while you complete the test. 

Wouldn’t we be better off under the flat rate system, as many lawns are brown in the summer?

If we were operating under the flat rate system, there would be no deterrent in watering one’s lawn; however there would have most likely been a watering ban as was experienced in previous years.

Watering bans are often necessary in order for the water treatment plant to keep up with the higher than average demand due to lawn watering in the summer months.

How much water does my lawn actually need?

Not as much water as people realize.

Most lawns need 1 to 2 inches of water per week (except when rainfall makes up the difference.

Why does my water bill have fixed rate charges even if I have a water meter?

Fixed Charges are used primarily to pay for capital expenditures which are not directly impacted by water consumption.

Why is the sewer charge based on consumption? If not all the water I use goes into the sewer, why am I charged so much?

This is the most common method of determining sewage use in Ontario.  This method has been determined to be the fairest and most logical way of charging consumers for sewage because it is based on the amount of water they use.

On average, 92% of the water usage in a home is assumed to go to the sanitary sewer.  The amount of sewage single family residential customers pay for on their water bill is equal to 92% of your water consumption.

The City of Welland does not treat water or sewage.  Instead, these services are provided by the Region and paid for directly from the water and sewer bills.

What would the result be if sewer charges were to go on tax bills?

A residents tax bill would increase significantly.

Due to the Provincial capping requirements (certain classes of taxes can only rise a certain percentage per year), homeowners would be subsidizing the sewer charges from commercial classes.

Is the residential sector currently subsidizing the commercial sector?

No there is no subsidization for the commercial sector. Everyone pays the same per cubic meter rate, which is identical throughout all sectors.