TL;DR (generated, confidence: high)

Portland's Residential Meter Request Form is used to size water meters for single and multi-family residential development using the 2023 OPSC Appendix M flow demand methodology. The form is required for new residential construction and certain additions/alterations.

Key points:

Residential Meter Request Form applies only to single and multi-family residential development; non-residential projects use the W-4 form (Residential Meter Request Form ↗)
Water Bureau adopted 2023 OPSC Appendix M flow demand methodology (replacing 2017 OPSC Table 610.3 fixture unit method) for meter sizing (Residential Meter Request Form ↗)
New flow demand methodology assumes water-efficient fixtures and concurrent use probability, typically resulting in smaller and more affordable meter sizes (Residential Meter Request Form ↗)
Form required for new single-family residences, rowhouses, townhouses, and ADUs; supplied during online application (Residential Meter Request Form ↗)
For additions/alterations: form required if adding 4+ toilets, adding dwelling units, adding plumbing to detached structures, or changing multi-family occupancy (Residential Meter Request Form ↗)
Meter upgrade can be requested voluntarily even without building permit requirement (Residential Meter Request Form ↗)
Downloadable PDF form (1.22 MB) available from Portland Public Works (Residential Meter Request Form ↗)

Entities: form: Residential Meter Request Form · W-4 form | standard: 2023 OPSC Appendix M | deprecated_standard: 2017 OPSC Table 610.3 | organization: Portland Water Bureau | concept: flow demand methodology · fixture units

Residential Meter Request Form

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Source: Residential Meter Request Form ↗ Last modified: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 20:04:16 GMT

The information on this web page pertains only to single and multi-family residential development. All non-residential development (retail or industrial, for example) must have water service meter sizing reviewed using the existing W-4 form.

Get the Residential Meter Request Form (PDF 1.22 MB) ↗

Background

Residential meter sizing is now based on Appendix M of the 2023 Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code (OPSC).

Traditionally the Portland Water Bureau required meter sizes to be based on 2017 OPSC Table 610.3 plumbing code guidelines, which lists total “fixture units” for various domestic fixtures.

Recently, the Water Bureau has received requests to adopt the new flow demand methodology based on the 2023 OPSC, Appendix M.

Appendix M of the OPSC is an updated method of calculating peak water demand for residential uses. It assumes water efficient fixtures are being used and accounts for the probability of concurrent fixture use. The new flow demand methodology often results in a smaller and more affordable meter size for the intended use, compared to the traditional “fixture unit” methodology.

The Water Bureau Engineering Services Group has researched and investigated the new meter sizing guidelines and has adopted the 2023 OPSC Appendix M (and subsequent updates) flow demand methodology as standard procedure for meter sizing for residential and housing use.

Development review of new permits by Water staff will now allow all residential applications (including multi-family projects) to size water meters based on 2023 OPSC Appendix M.

The new Residential Meter Request Form is used to report information to the Portland Water Bureau about water needs for all residential development.

When is the Residential Meter Request Form used?

The Residential Meter Request Form is used to report information to the Public Works Permitting team regarding the water needs of your residential development project.

If you’re building a new single-family residence (NSFR), new rowhouse or townhouse, or a new accessory dwelling unit (ADU), you will supply the information when you complete the online application.

If you’re building an addition or alteration to an existing residential structure, you will need to submit a completed Residential Meter Request form if your project meets one or more of the following conditions:

Adding a fourth (or more) toilet
Adding one or more dwelling unit(s) (e.g., converting an existing attic to an ADU, or converting one two-bedroom apartment into three studio apartments)
Adding new plumbing to an existing detached structure (e.g., putting a sink into a detached garage to make an art studio)
Changing the occupancy of part of an existing structure in a multi-family dwelling (e.g., converting storage space to living space)

If you are requesting a new or larger meter for a residential structure, you must complete the Residential Meter Request Form to make a Voluntary Meter Request even if you don't need a building permit.