Separate water meter for garden water - How to read the meter

It actually depends on the country or the district. We are now also approaching the matter with a sealed water tap from a plumber.

It actually depends on the country or the district. We are now approaching the matter with a sealed water tap from a plumber.

Our plumber also sealed the meter. But that didn’t count. Therefore, check in advance whether it must be sealed by the municipality/water association.

Because of this mistake, I just paid for 45 cubic meters of wastewater too much :/

Therefore, find out in advance whether it must be sealed by the municipality/water association.

… has already been agreed with our installer: he is allowed to do that :)

… is already agreed with our installer: he is allowed to do that :)

Still take a look at the statute of the wastewater association. In our case, the legal regulation in the statute was that we had to pay a minimum withdrawal of 31m³ per person for the first years. Only for what was consumed beyond that would the fee exemption for outdoor water apply. With 3 people in the household, we only had a consumption of between 90-100m³ including outdoor water in the first years. The effort for the exemption would not have been worthwhile. At some point, the statute was changed.

Getting approval for a well in such regions is basically off the table. Or the well owners are also instructed not to extract anything anymore (unless it's already dried up).
A cistern in household-typical volumes is empty after 1-2 weeks. Without a well, that's pretty pointless and expensive as well.

Yes, I know. Under current conditions (with exemption from wastewater charges), neither a well nor a cistern is worthwhile (let alone if you want to make it somewhat larger than household-typical).
However, it is to be expected that due to the ongoing dryness here, prices will rise or extraction will be prohibited. Then the calculation could look quite different.
The cistern would have to be placed so that when it does rain, the water from the entire roof of 100m² and from the garage 50m² flows into it, not just the water from one downpipe. But that would be under our driveway and therefore even more complicated.
Currently, therefore, not an option.

I’m still speculating a bit on the approx. 500m² garden plot with a small barn behind our property. There is a large water tank for collection there, and then used IPC containers would also be an option.

The effort for the liberation wouldn't have been worth it at all.

We'll check this evening how much consumption we actually have.