HOW IS MY METER READ?
Your meter is read once a month by a City of Galena employee using a handheld electronic reader. A touchpad connected to your indoor water meter has been installed on the outside of your house. When the handheld electronic reader touches the touchpad your water usage downloads into the handheld reader. The handheld reader measures use in even thousand gallon increments. Therefore, if your inside meter reads 58,895 gallons, the handheld reading from the outside will be 58,000. The additional 895 gallons will be billed once your water consumption reaches the next thousand gallons or, in this example, 59,000 gallons.
Estimating is only used in exceptional circumstances when the meter has not been read. Estimates are based on the average of your previous two months usage. Your bill will reflect a “0” under previous read on the months you are estimated. Your estimated usage is deducted from the actual usage on your next billing and you are only billed for the difference.
WHEN IS MY METER READ?
The city has been divided into five routes for the purpose of reading meters. Each route is read at approximately the same time each month. Please feel free to contact City Hall at 815.777.1050 or utilties@cityofgalena.org if you would like to know on what date your meter will be read. We appreciate your help in keeping a clear path to your touchpad and keeping the touchpad clearly visible.
