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Three tips for “March Madness” season

Blog Post
A water meter box sits hidden by grass and dead leaves
Your water meter deserves some TLC this March Madness season. Here are three tips everyone should follow as you tend to your yard this spring.
Published
Portland Water employee reads a water meter on the side of the neighborhood street
Meters readers like Brent walk over seven miles each day to read water meters across the City. Help them do their jobs by keeping your meter boxes clear and easily accessible.
Diagram showing how to keep a water meter accessible

March Madness has arrived, but we’re not talking about basketball. We’re talking about spring season! With plants and grass growing quickly, it’s time to put on the gloves and get to work. (Yard work, that is.) As much as we want to start planting our cherry tomatoes, we recommend first tending to the yard area between the sidewalk and the street where water meters are usually located. 

Overgrown shrubs and grass make it hard for our field staff to do their job and read your water meter. Here are three tips for keeping your meter clear:

  • Keep grass trimmed to the edge of the meter box.
  • Remove all branches hanging lower than 6 feet over the meter box. 
  • Keep everything off of the meter box, including trash cans, recycling bins, mulch, and soil.

Parked vehicles, overgrown plants, yard debris, and construction materials prevent meter readers and maintenance crews from doing their jobs. If we can’t access your meter and have to schedule another visit to your property, we’ll notify you with a tag on your door.

Questions? Contact our Customer Service at 503-823-770 or email PWBCustomerService@portlandoregon.gov