Civil water meter is one of the familiar measuring instruments for residents. It belongs to trade settlement appearance with gas meter and electric energy meter, commonly known as "three civil meters". As a measuring instrument for trade settlement, water meters have always been paid attention to. In 1999, water meters were listed by the State Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau as key management measuring instruments.

At present, there are more than 200 water meter production enterprises in China, which are roughly divided into three parts: medium-sized planning water meter production plants, water meter plants affiliated to water companies and private enterprises. The enterprises are mainly concentrated in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other places.

Because of prehistoric reasons and unbalanced economic development, domestic water meter products still play a leading role in the lower price of iron shell rotor water meter. However, the manufacturing technology of small caliber water meters in some enterprises in China has approached the international level, and the export volume of water meter products has increased year by year. The developed countries abroad have higher requirements for drinking water quality, and the corresponding requirements for surface hygiene and measurement are also higher.

Rotor water meter is a kind of speed water meter. Its speed is proportional to the flow speed. This type of water meter accounts for the vast majority of the domestic market. Volumetric water meters have been used in a few occasions. Piston structure is used in the product. It is generally used in occasions where water quality is good (such as pipeline water purification) and metering performance is high.

According to the counter, there are two types of water meter: pointer type and wheel type (also known as digital type). They are divided into wet type and dry type according to whether they are immersed in water or not. The counter of the wet meter is immersed in water, the glass of the meter bears water pressure, and the rust and scale in the water may affect the clarity of the dial in a long time. The dial can be kept clean by using magnet drive for the dry meter. In recent years, liquid-sealed water meters have been popular, retaining the advantages of wet and dry meters, with clear reading and low price. They are more suitable for domestic pipelines and water quality conditions.

Many domestic enterprises are also cooperating to promote "one household one meter" and realize the requirement of "reading meter without entering the household". They are developing prepaid water meters and remote outdoor reading system. These products add electronic devices to the existing water meters to ensure the stability of the water meters.