Behind every accurate water bill is a meter reader working daily to serve thousands of Central Alabama Water customers. Twan Richardson is dedicated to getting the job done.
Central Alabama Water meter readers heads into the field each day to manually record water usage, carefully tracking how much water has passed through each meter. While the job may look simple to outsiders, it requires patience, precision and persistence. For Leantwan “Twan” Richardson, meter reading is far from an easy task — it’s demanding work that calls for focus and dedication every step of the way.
Every morning, Richardson begins his day before sunrise, gathering the tools he’ll need for the hours ahead. He fuels up his truck, checks his equipment and makes sure he has the proper personal protective gear before heading out on his route. As part of the early morning crew, Richardson is among the first to arrive and begins his day while most of our customers are waking up.
“It’s a fast-paced job and you have to pace yourself,” Richardson explains.
The rhythm of the day often determines how many meters are read before the work is done. On a typical shift, that number can climb into the hundreds — sometimes between 500 and 600 meters in a single day. Familiarity with the route plays a major role in keeping that pace, allowing experienced meter readers like Richardson to move efficiently from stop to stop while staying on schedule.
“A lot of the routes that I do read, I kind of know them, I’ve gotten use to them. I think a good reader should average 100 meters an hour in the city,” Richardson said.
After 18 years on the job, Richardson knows meter reading like the back of his hand. Experience has taught him how to move efficiently through each route, but even veteran readers face challenges that can throw off the day’s pace. Construction, traffic and changing weather conditions can all slow progress. Rain can flood meter boxes, while leaves and debris often block access, even on clear days. During the summer, crews start earlier to avoid the extreme heat. The work demands more than just reading numbers — it takes patience, endurance and the ability to adapt to whatever the day brings.
“This job is not easy as you think it is, we just make it look easy,” Richardson said.
Richardson says meter reading is the kind of job your body must learn to handle — and not everyone can. If staying active, exercising, and working out are already part of your lifestyle, he believes the work might be a natural fit. The long hours and constant movement can wear on a person, but Richardson pushes through with one purpose in mind: making sure customers are taken care of.
Each day, Richardson climbs in and out of his truck hundreds of times, providing accurate readings for thousands of customers who depend on reliable service. For him, accuracy matters because a single reading can affect a customer’s daily life.
“I try to give the best quality of work I can give every day,” Richardson concluded.
