Tracking consumption through meter readings is critical for understanding water use. Proper metering allows sites to monitor the impact of improvement measures over time and to prioritize funding for proposed water conservation initiatives. Submetering offers a means of further identifying how water is used.

Where practical, metering should be implemented in the following areas:

• Site or property boundary
• Each individual building
• Irrigation system
• Well water pump
• Process water for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) and other cooling systems
• Specialty systems, such as cafeterias
• Fire suppression pump
• Water treatment and WWT water

Meters can be installed for a relatively low cost, and their installation requires minor design effort. Site properties should have meters at main water supply points, whether they are municipal lines, well pumps, or other sources.

Metering allows sites to monitor their monthly usage and identify spikes in consumption, making it easy to spot and fix leaky irrigation systems, constantly running indoor fixtures, or malfunctioning cooling towers. Data can also be used to determine baseline performance before conservation measures are implemented, calculate return on investment (ROI) for potential water conservation measures being considered, and evaluate the result of efficiency measures.