The City of Tigard owns and maintains over 21,000 water meters throughout the Tigard Water Service Area (TWSA), which includes approximately 2/3 of the City of Tigard, the cities of Durham and King City, and parts of unincorporated Washington County. Each meter is an essential part of Tigard’s water distribution system, being solely responsible for measuring each customer’s actual water use for billing purposes. Tigard Public Works, Water Division employees maintain and replace water meters every day to ensure your reliable connection to our drinking water system. 

What to Expect

If your meter is being replaced as part of the Water Meter Modernization Project (Link), you will receive a notice approximately 15-60 days before we plan to replace your meter. Exact schedules may change. 
If your meter is being replaced due to a malfunction or maintenance issues, you may not receive a mailed notification. 

On the day of your meter replacement, Tigard Public Works crews will need to turn off your water for about 15-30 minutes while your meter is replaced. Someone will knock on your door before turning off the water.

Typical Water Meter Replacement Activities

Water meter replacement crews will:

• Work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
•  Wear clothing or vests that identify them as City of Tigard employees.
• Work in the street and at the water meter, which is usually near the sidewalk or close to the street.

Tigard Public Works crews will knock on the door before work on each meter begins. Let them know if you are using water, like if someone is in the shower or your dishwasher or washing machine is running. In these cases, workers will move to other houses on your street first. They will return later that same day to replace your meter. If no one answers the door, crews will check the meter to see if water is being used. If water is being used, crews will come back later in the day. If water is not being used, crews will start work with the meter replacement.

During a typical meter replacement, Tigard Public Works crews will:

1. Open the meter lid.
2. Turn off the water to the home or building.
3. Replace the water meter, which typically takes about 15-30 minutes.
4. Turn the water back on and flush the water pipes through a hose bib on your property to clear any debris.
5. Close the meter lid.
6. Place a notice on the door.

What You Can Do to Prepare

The following could prevent our crews from replacing your water meter:

Parked vehicles

• Overgrown plants and grass
• Yard debris
• Piles of wood chips or rocks
• Construction materials

Tigard City Code requires that customers maintain a vegetation-free and obstruction-free zone around their water meter. Please check the area around your meter to make sure we have clear access, with at least 2 feet of free space in all directions. This could mean you need to prune plants, remove weeds, bark chips, or foliage, or move objects away from your meter box. If we cannot change the meter for various reasons, we will leave a notice with a phone number to call to schedule a time to replace.