Concerns over Fresno water meter placement

Some people didn't mind their water was shut off for about an hour on Tuesday to install a water meter box. But others took issue with the placement of some of the meter boxes.

Crews have already installed 55-thousand water meter boxes around the city. In one northwest Fresno neighborhood, some of the water meter boxes weren't noticeable. But others were smack dab in the middle of concrete driveways.

A woman who did not wanted to be identified was angry because she said the meter box altered the landscape of her yard. She explained, "I had landscaping there and I was really upset when they told me that they were going to put it there and they advised me I couldn't cover it with any ground cover."

But Ann Kloose with the Department of Public Utilities says the locations of the water meter boxes are all pre-determined. Kloose said, "You have the water main in the street and then you've got the line that goes from the city water main to your property. That point of connection, the service connection that's what determines where the meter box goes."

Kloose understands some residents might not be happy. "Sometimes, admittedly, they're in a peculiar place if you will."

The city gives residents 48 hours advance notice before the digging begins. But one woman thought her meter box would be underground and out of sight. She said, "I think what we're going to do is probably contact a contractor and see if we can move it to another location."

Kloose said at this point that's not an option. She added, "That's just not reasonable or feasible for us to try to negotiate a different location for this point of service connection. That would put this project over budget and behind."

In some Fresno neighborhoods water meter boxes have been installed in backyards and even alleys.