Very old water meter. Imperial or metric??

eddyinfreehold

Our local cricket club has a water supply with a meter on the road then a run under a private drive of a neighbouring house then a field we don't own of some 100 metres before the pipe enters our property. We have no meter on our property. The treasurer has reported the meter spinning round (based on his readings) although he was unaware of any large water volumes being used. Firstly I have to check whether he is reporting the right figures as we have been landed an enormous bill. Our meter dates to approximately 1969 and the cast iron inspection chamber is marked Bamlett Meter. Most water meters I have seen have five white on black numbers and to their right two white on red numbers. Our meter has three dials on the left, black on white and four on the right, white on red. It is the far right hand dial that moves first and fastest so this is obviously the smallest unit. However I have no idea whether it is recording litres and cubic metres or pints, gallons or tons. Has anyone seen a meter like this before? As far as I'm aware Bamletts were a firm that made agricultural machinery. Any help appreciated. I'm the groundsman by the way.

eddyinfreehold

I would add that the pressure is good and a qualified plumber has isolated the meter and checked for leaks all over our building. I have measured a flow of 15 litres per minute from an internal tap. The loos are not leaking. Using divining rods (which do work btw) I know the approximate run of the pipe and there is no obvious wet patch or extra grass growth where the water runs through the field the problem can only be a) a leaking supply pipe b) a faulty meter c) the treasurer is submitting the wrong numbers. United Utilities only have a box to accept 5 white numbers but our full reading has 3 white and 4 red.

wild666

As far as I'm aware the person is libel for any leaks past where the meter is fitted. I have a meter and it's installed just before the stop tap in my flat. 

eddyinfreehold

Problem solved, no leaks fortunately. Had to clean the meter carefully to reveal its serial number and no less than 8 dials, 4 black, 4 red. Photographed whole dial. Ran water for 30 mins at approx 15 litres/min. Read the dial again. Black numbers unchanged, red numbers increased by 4650. So it's a metric meter and the red numbers are fractions of a cubic metre in 100s, 10s, units and 1/10ths of litres. Treasurer was sending in the red numbers he tells me, as these were all he could see. Can't blame him. The meter is 4 feet down a small dark hole and infested with ants. Now to resolve the bill which is admin and not my dept....