How To Bypass A Water Meter
- Repooc [OP]
- Deal Addict
- Jul 6, 2005
- 4283 posts
- 1883 upvotes
- Toronto
Whats to stop you from bypassing your water meter?
Obvious than likely being very illegal, how would anyone ever find out? The water meter is in your basement.
I'd imagine that anyone with half-decent plumbing skills tin can plough the supply valve in the front yard/driveway off, and then install bypass valves around the meter in the basement.
My supply line from the street going into the meter is actually pex tubing, which i imagine would be super easy to modify.
Non that I would practise information technology, our water bills are pretty low anyways. But for someone with a pool or mayhap an inground sprinkler arrangement, I could run across this being a pretty enticing matter to do when it comes fourth dimension to fill the pool each yr or having super lush green grass all summer long.... Yous'd only need to pump some water through the meter every now then to look honest, LOL
Are there any other meters upstream from the one within your business firm?
- #two
- MacGyver
- Deal Addict
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- Mar 8, 2002
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- Ottawa
- #3
- DIrty-D
- Deal Addict
- Sep 11, 2006
- 1382 posts
- 359 upvotes
- Toronto
Whats stopping me is the fact that I am fortunate plenty to live in a civilized order and stealing anything gets me nowhere morally. You could motion to Brazil where stealing utilities is not frowned upon so much.
- #4
- jonnyb
- Deal Addict
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- Dec 27, 2007
- 1302 posts
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- Oshawa
The urban center tracks h2o usage, they know how much is going out and thus how much money should be coming in. If things don't match upwards they then showtime narrowing down where the problem is. If yous think your going to fill up a pool for free without the metropolis knowing estimate again. Its the police of averages, if your water usage drops off of a sudden or your consumption doesn't match the standard you'll most likely be contacted.
Last edited by jonnyb on Dec 9th, 2016 6:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- #5
- torontotim
- Deal Aficionado
- Nov 17, 2012
- 4672 posts
- 4131 upvotes
- Toronto
They don't have a freaking clue how much is going out. What are you talking nigh? They don't have meters on your sewage drains for crying out loud.
If you retrieve the city can runway downwards over use from some macro level that you think they are managing you're crazy. Even if they did track how much water was going into treatment plants vs what was being delivered there is null manner to pinpoint the cause of any delta to a specific area let solitary a detail street or address.
Nothing is stopping yous. Except it's a stupid thing to do and the city knows who has pools. If you lot're going to steal utilities make it worth your while and steal electricity. Bonus points if you electrocute yourself while trying.
- #vi
- MacGyver
- Deal Aficionado
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- Mar eight, 2002
- 4232 posts
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- Ottawa
jonnyb wrote: ↑ The city tracks water usage, they know how much is going out and thus how much money should be coming in.
About municipal water systems have countless undetected leaks. The rate of loss tin be fifteen-40%. But with the advanced meter infrastructure (AMI) are municipalities offset to tackle the problem.
- #seven
- bacalhau4me
- Deal Addict
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- Feb 25, 2015
- 1147 posts
- 530 upvotes
- York Region
The free ride would await foreign when you sell your house or if the local water visitor noticed that you used no water for years.
- #8
- jm1
- Deal Addict
- Jan 5, 2003
- 4813 posts
- 4569 upvotes
- Toronto
It'll jump out that your consumption is much lower than the average.
If you don't lower it that much to not arouse suspection (ie. disrupt the flow merely sometimes, non 24/7), and so you lot're not saving/stealing that much, either, and so it's not fifty-fifty worth the effort.
- #9
- fdl
- Deal Fanatic
- December 5, 2009
- 5751 posts
- 3580 upvotes
Why stop at h2o? May besides featherbed your electric and gas meter likewise. I also become to public washrooms and take the toilet paper.
- #10
- WMPCOT
- Deal Aficionado
- Apr 26, 2013
- 3967 posts
- 3816 upvotes
- Toronto
Turning off the water at the curb box/stop while possible, may suspension causing several 1000 dollars in damages. Y'all might be able to tell the city you were doing plumbing work merely that would look sketchy as even plumbers are non allowed to plow it off at that junction (In nearly municipalities) even if they believe you, y'all would be looking at a very large repair nib.
In regards to the bodily theft of water if you tamper with the meter there is a seal, copper wire, and a tag attached to the meter, register head, and meter nut so they'd know something is not right. If the city believes you stole water and then get an inspection done not having these properly attached will outcome in a fine, especially if they have reason to believe you lot have been stealing h2o. Also they know your past usage so if it drops significantly that sets off an alarm. If your meter was recently installed (inside the past few years) chances are they accept a photo of the install itself with the seals.
Not to mention it isn't really worth it to steal water, I believe the bulk of the GTA is under two dollars per m litres.
- #11
- aqnd
- Deal Fanatic
- April 20, 2011
- 7747 posts
- 2735 upvotes
- ON
- #12
- nomdesplumes
- Bargain Aficionado
- Sep 26, 2013
- 3725 posts
- 478 upvotes
- MONTR
fdl wrote: ↑ Why end at water? May likewise bypass your electrical and gas meter as well. I also go to public washrooms and take the toilet paper.
go take table salt, pepper, and sugar from macdonalds while you are at it.
- #thirteen
- rotjong
- Bargain Addict
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- Jan 2, 2009
- 1909 posts
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The city will find out in a big hurry if you bypass the meter, every month yous become a water beak and it shows how much yous use, they fifty-fifty have an average past how much that particular business firm uses, if of a sudden at that place is no menstruum for some time that brings upwardly a cherry flag in their system and and then they come and investigate, you could so exist charged for theft.
I used to work in municipal utilities and have seen information technology happen.
- #14
- eonibm
- Deal Proficient
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- Aug 2, 2010
- 15196 posts
- 4990 upvotes
- Here 'northward In that location
Repooc wrote: ↑ Obvious than likely existence very illegal, how would anyone ever find out? The water meter is in your basement.
I'd imagine that anyone with half-decent plumbing skills can plough the supply valve in the front yard/driveway off, and so install bypass valves around the meter in the basement.
My supply line from the street going into the meter is actually pex tubing, which i imagine would exist super easy to alter.
Non that I would practice it, our water bills are pretty depression anyways. But for someone with a pool or peradventure an inground sprinkler system, I could encounter this existence a pretty enticing matter to do when information technology comes time to fill the puddle each year or having super lush green grass all summer long.... You lot'd merely need to pump some water through the meter every at present and so to look honest, LOL
Are at that place any other meters upstream from the one inside your house?
Dearest your disclaimer 'Not that I would practice it' yet y'all seem to be very interested in the possibility given your detailed question.
With enough creativity I guess you lot can commit fraud many dissimilar ways and make others pay for your law-breaking. Eventually y'all will get defenseless and information technology won't exist pretty.
- #fifteen
- jonnyb
- Bargain Addict
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- Dec 27, 2007
- 1302 posts
- 742 upvotes
- Oshawa
I didn't mention anything about sewage did I and then please cry softly, non loudly. Nor did I e'er say anything about tracking usage via some macro level.
As rotjong said its all about averages. I too take past experience this as my uncle did the exact them the OP was talking about, bypassed his meter to fill up the puddle. Second fourth dimension he did it he got caught.
torontotim wrote: ↑They don't have a freaking clue how much is going out. What are you talking about? They don't have meters on your sewage drains for crying out loud.
If you think the urban center tin rails down over use from some macro level that you think they are managing you're crazy. Even if they did rails how much water was going into treatment plants vs what was existence delivered there is zero style to pinpoint the cause of any delta to a specific area let lonely a particular street or accost.
Zip is stopping you. Except it's a stupid affair to practice and the city knows who has pools. If you're going to steal utilities brand information technology worth your while and steal electricity. Bonus points if you electrocute yourself while trying.
rotjong wrote: ↑ The city will find out in a big hurry if you lot bypass the meter, every month y'all get a h2o bill and it shows how much y'all use, they fifty-fifty accept an average by how much that particular firm uses, if all of a sudden there is no catamenia for some fourth dimension that brings upward a red flag in their system and so they come and investigate, yous could and then exist charged for theft.
I used to work in municipal utilities and have seen it happen.
- #xvi
- Quentin5
- Deal Adept
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- Feb 8, 2014
- 26512 posts
- 11004 upvotes
- Socially Distanced
There is an like shooting fish in a barrel way to "bypass" your meter and cut your water bill.
Use less water 
Simple means
Never water your backyard (it will survive) and set up pelting barrels if you lot must have outdoor water.
Accept short showers (Navy showers anyone?)
Use the dishwasher, its more efficient then manus washing
Never leave the tap running
Don't take baths (at least not often)
Install low menstruum aerators and shower heads, 1GPM is fine for taps, 1.5-ii.5GPM for showers
Use but the amount of water needed for washing machines, no extra rinses of full loads of water for a few articles
Harder ways
Replace toilets with low menses if using more then 6L/affluent
Replace washing machines with front end loading water efficient units
Practise the minimum amount of laundry necessary
Shower less frequently
Audit your water usage and eliminate or reduce any unnecessary usage (even downwardly to do you really need the humidifier on the furnace, and how much water does it apply a day?)
The all-time part of this method is that what your doing is completely legal, y'all cannot exist prosecuted for not using "enough" h2o 
Last edited by Quentin5 on Dec ninth, 2016 10:56 pm, edited i time in total.
In fact in Rand McNally they vesture hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people
- #17
- Quentin5
- Deal Practiced
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- Feb 8, 2014
- 26512 posts
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- Socially Distanced
aqnd wrote: ↑ Ethics, perhaps?
Just losers have ethics, just ask Donald Trump
The best winners convince their supporters their lies are actually true.
Then much for ethics.
In fact in Rand McNally they wear hats on their feet and hamburgers eat people
- #18
- Magoo61
- Sr. Member
- Mar 19, 2013
- 710 posts
- 217 upvotes
- Prince Albert, Sask.
rotjong wrote: ↑ The city will observe out in a big bustle if you bypass the meter, every month you get a water bill and it shows how much you use, they even have an boilerplate past how much that item house uses, if all suddenly there is no menstruation for some fourth dimension that brings up a red flag in their system then they come up and investigate, you could then be charged for theft.
I used to work in municipal utilities and take seen it happen.
Agree, might accept the city some time to take hold of up to you, they volition eventually. A co-worker by passed his meter, it was all good for a while, he was quite proud of himself. And then had to visit the judge. BTW, sewage charges are based on water usage. Where I live, it is pretty much the same as water costs. Use $100 of water, yous pay $100 sewage charge.
- #19
- ChubChub
- Deal Aficionado
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- October nine, 2010
- 3124 posts
- 1305 upvotes
- Windsor
Repooc wrote: ↑ Obvious than probable being very illegal, how would anyone always find out? The water meter is in your basement.
Are there any other meters upstream from the one inside your house?
They probably wouldn't observe out; they can't exactly break into your home to inspect you meter, or testify upwardly unannounced and await to go access. Just tell them "Right now is inconvenient", or don't respond the door.
I chosen the city to install a wireless meter at my identify so I could cease people from going in my dorsum yard to scan the transmitter. When the utility guy came in, he changed the meter, and installed some tags and wires that ensure I tin can't remove the meter. However, in that location are several connections before the meter that you could hands de-solder, and install a bypass valve to skirt the meter without ever touching those tags. If they had problems where they HAD to see your meter, y'all could simply switch it dorsum, then "dirty" the pipes so it looks like it's been like that for years.
In that location is no meter outside of your property that would read your usage.
Every bit you know, obviously illegal, but it could pretty hands be washed. However, where I live, my actual usage is just about 10% of my water bill, the rest are sewer/water main replacement fees, taxes, and random other fees.
One who is offended by truth, has no place amidst those who seek wisdom.
- #20
- RobT49038
- Newbie
- Sep 28, 2019
- i posts
- 1 upvote
The only fourth dimension this is effective, or "worth it", is if you're going to be self installing a new h2o system, or systems, into your house. By that, I mean, calculation a bathroom, sprinkler organisation, to a higher place ground pool, etc. Information technology's simple to splice around your meter, but I wouldn't recommend dropping your normal h2o usage a whole lot, unless you do it little by little over a few years to drop your average without existence noticeable. Bypassing straight into a sprinkler system could, I suppose, save y'all thousands. But, over again, it would have to be self installed and no permits pulled and then it didn't throw upwards any potential red flags. Besides, but in instance you're contacted for an inside inspection by your utility provider, have everything you need to switch out that bypass fairly quickly. I don't recommend doing whatever of this, all the same. Stealing from a municipality doesn't get over too well in courtroom. But, yes, it can exist done with virtually twenty dollars in parts and tools and minor plumbing knowledge.
Source: https://forums.redflagdeals.com/whats-stop-you-bypassing-your-water-meter-2063804/
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