[AT] County/City Water Connection: What size meter to use?

[Al Jones]

WARNING: OFF TOPIC!

My wife and I are building a house, and it’s time to put the water meter down out at the highway.  This is my first experience with “county water,” as I have always lived in a house on its own well.  I am hoping that the convenience of not maintaining a pump will be worth it in  the long run.  Plus, we will be living in the town ETJ, and I expect “one of these days” they will run a municipal sewer line and we’ll have to connect anyway.

I have a choice of a meter with a 3/4" hookup, pretty much the standard deal around here, or a 1” hookup.  The 1” meter is $170 more than the 3/4" meter, but the highway robbery, uh, I mean “impact fee” is $1600 more for the 1” meter.  Our house is between 800 and 900 feet from the road and where the meter will be.  Should I bite the bullet and go for the 1” connection or will a 3/4" line give acceptable pressure and flow?  My contractor suggests the 1” meter, and I have had others advise either one will work.  One even suggested just installing the 3/4" meter but run a 1" pipe to the house.

We won't be doing anything fancy, just water needs for a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house.  No lawn irrigation other than filling up a watering can when I plant marigolds or something.

When the meter goes in, I intend to run the line to the house myself.  If so, I will be using the 424 IH with a middlebuster to dig the trench (if it will go deep enough) and the Super A with IH Fast Hitch blade to backfill.....


thanks,
Al