with inlet port an outlet port and a rotatable impeller u2014 all not shown the impeller is supported by a shaft 53 that also supports magnet 52 this configuration minimizes torque disturbance on the impeller due to attraction between the magnet and reed sensor external to the water chamber 54 is a reed magnetic sensor 51 interacting with magnet 52 through magnetic field lines 55 to generate voltage pulses which are applied to a non volatile pulse counter according to the present invention u2014 not shown although the impeding torque exerted on the rotating magnet 52 by the reed magnetic sensor 51 is small it may still be significant in high sensitivity water meters fig5 b illustrates schematically a portion of a modified water meter with increased sensitivity which is obtained by coupling the impeller rotation to the outside of the chamber through a second magnet 56 on a second shaft 57 which is coupled to a revolution counter 58 of the present invention through a step down gear mechanism 59 shown schematically fig5 c schematically illustrates a remotely interrogated passive water meter that can provide the accumulated amount of water without physical contact according to a preferred embodiment of the invention electronic section 50 of the water meter includes a transmitter receiver loop antena 511 that is inductively coupled and receives energy from a portable readout device 514 the portable readout device includes.