Water meters and utility billing

Did you know?

A leaky toilet can waste 14,000 litres of water per day, a cost of $20,000 per year.

Water meters help identify leaks to fix, saving you and the City money.

All new single and two-family homes must have water consumption meter installed. With a water meter, you only pay for the water you use.

By using and wasting less water, you help conserve our drinking water supply so our region doesn't have to:

Enlarge our existing water-reservoir dams, costing money and impacting our wild spaces
Find new water sources

How water meters are read

We read water meters every 2 months using a drive-by reading device. Each meter is connected to a radio transmitter which reports the meter’s reading when requested by the drive-by device.

Water meters record all water used on a property. The only data collected during the meter read is the meter register’s reading on the collection day. The patterns of usage over the reading period are not available.

Utility bills are issued usually in March, July, and November.
How water meters are calculated
How you are billed
You'll receive a water bill every four months. The amount includes a:
- Basic charge to cover costs of billing, meter maintenance, and future meter replacement
- Consumption charge based on the amount of water used during the four-month period
- Customers should monitor the number of units reported on their utility bill, and watch for unusual increases
Having trouble understanding your bill? Find an explanation of your utility meter bill

Water meters

Find general information about Vancouver's water metering installation, and short-term removal for construction.

High water consumption

Find out what to check for when you have high water consumption, and if you don't find the cause, phone 3-1-1 for a review of your water usage.

Paying your utility bill

Find out how much you owe on your utility bill and what payment options are available.