Die watermeter dien om verbruik te meet.

In Afrikaans, compound nouns are usually written as a single word. So water + meter becomes watermeter.

This is very common in Afrikaans:

• kombuistafel = kitchen table
• skoolboek = school book
• motorhuis = garage

So watermeter is the normal spelling, not water meter.

Die is the definite article in Afrikaans, usually equivalent to English the.

A useful thing for learners is that Afrikaans does not change the article for gender, and die can be used for both singular and plural nouns in many contexts:

• die watermeter = the water meter
• die watermeters = the water meters

So you do not have to learn separate forms like English learners do in some other languages.

Here dien means serve, function, or be used for.

So dien om ... te ... is a structure meaning something like:

• serves to ...
• functions to ...
• is used to ...

It is a bit more formal or technical than a very simple everyday sentence. In ordinary speech, someone might also say:

• Die watermeter meet verbruik.
• Die watermeter word gebruik om verbruik te meet.

Om ... te is a very common Afrikaans infinitive pattern, roughly like English to ....

In this sentence:

• om verbruik te meet = to measure consumption

After dien, this pattern shows purpose or function:

• dien om iets te doen = serves to do something

So the sentence is built like this:

• Die watermeter = the water meter
• dien = serves
• om verbruik te meet = to measure consumption

Because meet is being used as an infinitive here, and Afrikaans normally uses te before the infinitive in this kind of construction.

So:

• meet = measure / measures
• te meet = to measure

In the pattern om ... te ..., the te is expected:

• om te lees = to read
• om te skryf = to write
• om verbruik te meet = to measure consumption

Yes. This is a classic false friend for English speakers.

In Afrikaans:

• meet = measure

It does not mean English meet as in meet a person.

So:

• Die tafel meet twee meter. = The table measures two metres.
• Die watermeter ... te meet = The water meter ... to measure

If you want English meet someone, Afrikaans would use ontmoet.

Here verbruik is a noun, meaning consumption or usage.

Afrikaans often has words that can be both noun and verb depending on context. In this sentence, it is a noun because it is the thing being measured.

Compare:

• verbruik = consumption, usage
• om water te verbruik = to consume water

So in verbruik te meet, the meter is measuring the consumption.

Because verbruik is being used in a general, abstract sense: consumption/usage in general.

Afrikaans often leaves out the article with abstract nouns when speaking generally, just as English often does:

• Hy bestudeer geskiedenis. = He studies history.
• Ons meet verbruik. = We measure consumption.

If you were talking about specific consumption, you could use an article:

• die verbruik = the consumption

In Afrikaans infinitive clauses with om ... te, the main verb usually comes near the end, and objects typically come before it.

So:

• om verbruik te meet = to measure consumption

This word order is very normal in Afrikaans. You can think of it as:

• om
  • other information + te
    • verb

Examples:

• om die deur oop te maak = to open the door
• om water te drink = to drink water
• om verbruik te meet = to measure consumption

It could. In fact, waterverbruik would be more explicit and may sound more precise in some contexts.

So both are possible depending on context:

• verbruik = consumption / usage
• waterverbruik = water consumption

In your sentence, verbruik is understandable because watermeter already tells you what kind of consumption is meant. Afrikaans often leaves out repeated information when the context is clear.

It is natural, but it sounds somewhat formal or explanatory, like something you might read in a manual, textbook, or technical description.

More everyday alternatives could be:

• Die watermeter meet verbruik.
• Die watermeter meet waterverbruik.
• Die watermeter word gebruik om waterverbruik te meet.

So dien om ... te ... is perfectly correct, but it has a slightly more formal serves to ... feel.