Water meter

[Nightwatch]

I'd look up an old, grey-haired local plumber...he might need some ammo, and might have a meter to trade...

 

[oldag]

It sure sounds like it. If this is all on the level, you can install an above-ground meter in your utility cabinet (where your 3/4" line comes in from the outside) and of course after your shutoff valve in your garage. This way you can shut off the water from the inside if any leaks occur during installation or in the future. If you want accurate readings from month to month, don't go for a cheap one. Use a Rainbird or Toro brand meter.

That sound borderline insulting.

 

[Ozzman]

That sound borderline insulting.

No malice intended.
As a Civil Engineer, I have seen my fair share of utility theft and manipulation; and I have seen the consequences that are handed down to the property owner.

 

[Bob=o]

Have you looked at Badger meter, McCrometer they are really good folks to work with as I have but only 4" and up. These are propeller style meters. They are not cheap but then you get what you pay for and repairable.

 

[Nightwatch]

No malice intended.
As a Civil Engineer, I have seen my fair share of utility theft and manipulation; and I have seen the consequences that are handed down to the property owner.

I appreciate your experience, and trying to save OP any nasty surprises. We don't all know all here, and your sharing what you DO know might save thousands for someone who DOESN'T know the rules/laws/policies. Example: a neighbor here forgot to pay his water bill. They cut him off...he went down and paid it, then went home and turned his meter on...and got into the shower. Shortly, it went off. Turns out the water man came out to turn him back on...and saw he'd already done it. Left it off and locked the meter, till he went down and paid a little over $250 for turning it on himself. No subterfuge, no theft, bill was now paid in full...but he wasn't supposed to touch their meter...and didn't know it.
Warn me...PLEASE warn me...about anything you know and we might not...and thanks for the tip!

 

[Ozzman]

$250 was a good deal. Water departments are expensive when you cross them. I have a neighbor that thought he was being cool and turned on the fire hydrant for the neighborhood kids a few years ago on a hot summer. It's not the movies, he almost got arrested and the smiles turned to tears for his kids. His fine was $1500 or something like that for a few"minutes" of it being on.

As a roadway designer, we take as-built plans and design our roadways based on them. Even the SUE level A didn't save this guy I am going to tell you about. One day I get a call from the County to head out and check the differences in "MY" plans because the contractor busted a water line that was not shown and the whole ball of wax was ready to blame me for the omission. According to the survey, 2 water lines should have been 3-feet below the ground, and servicing an adjacent property. Three buildings with 6 businesses with only 2 meters?? Big red flag. The contractor had already gone in, prepped the subgrade, and was rolling the bond breaker when they busted existing water lines tapped INTO THE MAIN at a location 15-feet away and 7-inches below the rolled surface where the connections should have been. Come to find out, that the property owner made his own illegal taps more than a decade before and didn't' think that it would be found. Well, the roller found it and it made a HUGE mess of the project. The County and EPW went after him hard. I think after it was all said and done, there was some jail time handed out, and fines exceeding $250,000.