This is field work reading residential and commercial water meters for the city-wide meter reading program on an assigned shift. The employee follows departmental procedures for reading water meters and for observing safety precautions, and receives work assignments from a meter reading supervisor who spot checks the work in the field. Ability to get along with co- workers, water customers, and the general public is essential to the work. Working conditions require walking all day in varying weather conditions, stooping , and crawling through narrow places, and climbing in and out of water meter pits. Work is performed under the close supervision of a meter reading supervisor.

• Performs work in the required uniform with proper identification.
• Reviews rout on electronic hand-held meter reading equipment; checks electronic hand- held meter reading equipment to ensure it is loaded and fully operational.
• Rings bell or knocks on water customer's door, shows identity as "water meter reader", and asks for admittance to property in order to read water meter.
• Locates water meter; reads water meter dials and records data into electronic hand-held mater reading equipment.
• Checks water meters and pipe connections for defects, damages, or unauthorized connections, and notes anything amiss with meter, its connections or operation in the remarks sections of the electronic hand-held meter reading equipment; checks water pipes for leaks using sound equipment.
• Tests accuracy of water meters by turning on water appliances and observing erratic movement or non-movement of meter hands.
• Enters data into the electronic hand-held meter reading equipment such as meter registering backwards, unauthorized pipe connections, or flooded water meter pits.
• Attaches seal and coupling to water meter when tampering or theft is indicated; reports unauthorized water service turns-ons to supervisor for possible prosecution.
• Follows up "No Response" by returning to residence later in the workday t obtain reading.
• Enlists aid of customers in locating meters and in gaining entrance to neighboring properties in order to obtain readings.
• Transfers meter reading taken by water customer on "Sorry We Missed You" card to meter electronic hand-held meter reading equipment.
• Performs re-inspections of curb boxes; cleans and opens boxes; checks position of curb stops using shutoff keys; if appropriate, shutoff curb stops; reads meters.
• Directs customer complaints to meter reading section for resolution.
• Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• exercise good judgment, courtesy, and tact when dealing with the public.
• gain confidence with the public sufficiently enough to gain admittance to premises and to obtain compliance with requests to remove obstructions to the meter.
• walk all day under varying weather conditions.
• learn the capabilities, features and requirements of electronic hand-held meter reading equipment.
• learn methods of reading the various types of water meters, and recording such readings in electronic hand-held meter reading equipment.
• learn the operating characteristics of residential and commercial water meters, curb boxes and curb stops, to recognize defects, damage, or irregularities in their operation, and the procedures used in field testing the operations and connections of such meters, curb boxes and curb stops.
• learn to care for and maintain electronic hand-held meter reading equipment.
• read water meter dials quickly and accurately.
• enter information onto the electronic hand-held meter reading equipment.
• learn to recognize and properly record non-routine meter reading situations.
• record data and to transfer data from type of form or record to another.
• use a city street map, to determine the location of street addresses.
• recognize the types of hazards associated with reading meters and the methods to avoid injury while working in the field.

• Education equivalent to completion of the tenth school grade.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

PAY RANGE: 9
Class Established: 1/1953

Latest Spec. Revision: 10/1988

T'OC/sb/ps