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How We Measure Your Water

Your water meter records usage in CCF (Centum Cubic Feet), which is our standard unit for monthly billing.

1 CCF = 100 Cubic Feet
The Conversion: 1 CCF is approximately 2,831 Liters or roughly 622 Imperial Gallons.
Visualizing a Unit: One unit (1 CCF) is roughly equivalent to taking 35-40 full baths.

Understanding Monthly Tiered Pricing

The Town uses a tiered rate structure. This means that as you use more water during the month, the cost per unit increases. This system is designed to encourage water conservation while ensuring that basic household needs remain affordable.

By keeping your monthly usage under 10 CCF, you stay out of the highest price bracket!

Monthly Usage	Rate Category	Why it matters
0 - 3 CCF	Base Tier	Covers essential indoor use (cooking, drinking).
3.1 - 10 CCF	Tier 2	Standard household use (showers, laundry).
Over 10 CCF	Tier 3	High-volume use (typically outdoor irrigation or leaks).

Why Did My Bill Increase?

If your monthly bill is higher than usual, it is typically due to one of three things:

Seasonal Usage

Even without any municipal water restrictions, outdoor activities drive up totals. Running a standard garden hose for just one hour can use nearly 0.75 CCF. If you water your lawn three times a week, that can add 9 CCF to your bill in a single month.

Household Changes

Extra guests, school holidays, or even new high-capacity appliances can cause a noticeable difference in your monthly CCF total.

The Silent Leak

A leaking toilet is the most common cause of a high bill. A silent leak (one you can't hear) can waste up to 3 units (CCF) per week.

Test it: Drop a little food colouring into the toilet tank. Don't flush. If colour appears in the bowl after 20 minutes, you have a leak.

How to Check Your Meter

You don't have to wait for your bill to see how much you are using. The Town of Battleford uses two different styles of meters. Find yours below to learn how to read it:

The Mechanical Meter (Analog)

This meter looks like a car odometer with a large sweeping hand.

How to Read: Read the number from left to right. This is your total usage in CCF.

The Leak Test: Look for the small read triangle (the flow indicator).

Ensure all water in the house is turned off.
If that triangle is spinning--even very slowly--water is moving through the system, indicating a leak.

The E-Coder (Digital LCD)

This is a modern digital meter. The screen is often asleep to save battery.

How to Read: Shine a bright flashlight on the flashlight icon or the small light sensor hole on the face of the meter to wake it up.

The Display: The screen will toggle between two numbers:

Reading: Your total usage (9 digits).
Flow Rate: How many units are moving through the meter right now.

The Leak Test: Look for the faucet icon in the corner of the screen:

Flashing Faucet: Indicates an intermittent leak (something that runs occasionally, like a toilet).
Solid Faucet: Indicates a continuous leak (water has been running non-stop for at least 24 hours).

Still not sure which meter you have, get more information here: How Smart Meters Work.