Water Meters

In Niagara Falls, all property owners must have a water meter installed on any service pipe that brings water into a building. Here’s everything you need to know about your water meter, from where to find it to how it works.

 

Submit a manual water meter reading

We read your water meter remotely using a transmitter box outside your home. If you got a request from the City to submit a manual reading, you’ll need to find your meter inside. This usually means the transmitter isn’t sending a signal, often due to a damaged wire. We may need to schedule a visit to check it out.

You can provide your water meter reading in a few easy ways:

Note: Your meter reading will be six or eight digits long. Please include the full reading (including any leading zeros) and the date the reading was taken.

Submit a water meter reading

Requesting a new, larger, or smaller water meter

  • New meters: If you’re building a new home, your water meter is included with your building permit. Email us a copy of the permit and receipt, and staff will arrange the release within two weeks.
  • New meters not part of a building permit: If the meter is not covered within a building permit and/or receipt, you must email us with supporting engineered mechanical drawings that identify the incoming water line, the size, and the location of the water meter
  • Changing the water meter size: You'll need to submit an application to change the size of an existing water meter. Include engineered mechanical drawings showing the water line size and the meter location. A fee applies.
  • Water meter fees: You can find the latest fees in the Fee Schedule for Water Meters

Request a new water meter Apply to change a meter size Water meter fees

Your water meter is usually located in the basement along the front wall, where your main service line enters your home. Other common spots include:

  • Basement washrooms
  • Laundry rooms
  • Utility or furnace rooms

Water meters track your water use in cubic meters. Inside the meter, a disk turns as water flows through, much like a car’s odometer. This movement measures the amount of water used.

  • The water meter belongs to the City, but property owners pay for it through the initial installation or building permit
  • Property owners must keep the meter in a safe environment and protect it from freezing or damage. If the meter freezes or is damaged because of misuse, the property owner has to pay for repairs or replacement.
  • The City maintains the water meters

The City uses Neptune ProCoder Registers and R900 Endpoint units to measure and transmit water usage data securely.

  • The ProCoder register tracks water consumption
  • The R900 transmitter sends water usage data securely to a collection unit for billing

Key facts about transmitters

  • Data is sent every hour in quick 0.25-second transmissions
  • Only the meter’s serial number and water consumption are transmitted – no personal data
  • Transmitters operate on a battery designed to last up to 20 years. If the battery dies or there’s an issue, the City will contact you for maintenance.
  • Devices operate in the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band (902 MHz to 928 MHz). They emit non-ionizing radiation, similar to TVs, radios, and remote controls.

For more details, check the Neptune product sheet.

A typical household uses about 10 cubic meters of water per person every two months. If your water use seems high, you might have a leak. 

To help you investigate, use our tips to locate and correct water waste in your home.

Water loss costs

Water pressure may vary throughout the City, however, using an average water pressure of 70 PSI (pounds per square inch), the following is an approximation of the amount of cubic meters lost, based on the size of a hole in your water service.

Note: One cubic meter = 1,000 litres, or approximately 264 US gallons. 

Approximate water loss in cubic meters

Size of hole Cubic meters lost per hour Cubic meters lost per day Cubic meters lost per month Cubic meters lost per year
1/32" 0.31 0.74 22.0 270.0
1/16" 0.169 4.0 121.0 1,460.0
1/8" 0.676 16.0 486.0 5,840.0
1/4" 2.7 65.0 1,950.0 23,725.0

To calculate the above examples with today’s rates (2026), the following is an excerpt from the rates currently charged as per the Water Rates By-law and the current Schedule of Fees.

Water consumption rates

Water: $1.490 per cubic meter
Sewer: $2.010 per cubic meter
Combined: $3.500 per cubic meter 

For example, if you had a 1/32” hole somewhere in your service and lost 270 cubic meters per year, the dollar cost lost to you would look like this: 

Water consumption 270 cubic meters x $1.490/m3 = $402.30
Sewer consumption 270 cubic meters x $2.010/m3 = $542.70
Estimated total lost dollars = $945

Leaks are costly, but an informed consumer saves money and is our best conservationist. 

To keep our city’s water system safe and accurate, we inspect and seal all water meter by-passes.

Learn what a water meter by-pass is, why inspections are needed, and what you can expect during the process. Visit our Water Meter By-Pass Inspections page.

Contact Us

City of Niagara Falls
4310 Queen Street
P.O. Box 1023
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6X5
Canada
905-356-7521
service@niagarafalls.ca