Report a leaking or damaged hydrant
If you suspect a hydrant leak or damage, please call our Utilities Department at 952-563-8777, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. After business hours, on weekends, and holidays, please call our 24-hour emergency number at 952-563-4905.
Adopt a hydrant
Adopt a hydrant and do a good deed for your community this winter.
How? Clear snow away from the hydrants after a large snowfall. This will provide quick access to firefighters and water maintenance workers in case of an emergency.
About hydrant maintenance
All 4,600 fire hydrants, both City owned and private, are inspected twice yearly by the Utility Division to ensure their reliable operation. Fall hydrant inspections includes noting the general appearance of the hydrant and recording any nearby impediments such as landscaping, trees, shrubs, or other improvements that may interfere with operation of the hydrant. Any obstruction within six feet of a hydrant, such as a power transformer or communications pedestal is noted on the inspection form. Each hydrant is then operated to verify pressurization and subsequently closed to see if the hydrant barrel drains properly. Hydrant caps are removed, threads are cleaned and gaskets are replaced as needed. If any repairs to the hydrant are needed, they are scheduled to be performed prior to the onset of winter weather.
Spring hydrant inspections are essentially the same as the Fall inspections, including operation and light maintenance as needed. However, noting how the hydrant made it through the winter in terms of snow plow damage and vehicle impacts is the most important part of the Spring inspection. Any damage to a City-owned hydrant is repaired immediately. For private hydrants, owners are contacted and informed of the need for repairs, and if approved, repaired by Utility Operators. Owners are then invoiced by the City for the repairs. One exception to this arrangement is that in most cases, any private hydrant repair requiring an excavation is referred to a private utility contractor for completion of the needed work. Finally, all public and private hydrants are painted on a five-year schedule. Hydrant preparation includes abrasive blasting and priming, and coating with the bright red hydrant paint we see throughout the City.
The greatest benefit of comprehensive fire hydrant inspection and maintenance program is the reliable operation of any hydrant, public or private should it be needed for a fire event. Another important benefit to everyone in the City is the favorable insurance rating given to the City by risk assessment agencies, in part due to the ongoing Public Works operations and maintenance programs as they relate to the City's water distribution system.
Water testing services
To contact the William Lloyd Analytical Laboratory about water testing, or if you have other questions for our laboratory personnel, please call 952-563-4904 between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
How to read a water meter
There are a variety of different meters and each one looks a little different, but there are two characteristics common to all of them. The face of the register will have the unit of measure "Gallons" printed on it, and there will be a digital read-out of 6 to 8 digits. Often the last 1 or 2 digits are
printed on the register and do not move, they only hold a place value.
Your electric meter measurement is in Kilowatt Hours and your gas meter measures in Cubic Feet (Cu. Ft.). Both of these meters usually have multiple dials with a hand that points to a number. People often mistakenly read one of these meters.
Please record all of the digits, including leading and ending zeros. The meter reading in the example above would be recorded as 0 2 4 9 0 8 0.
Location of your water meter
Locating your water meter will probably be the most difficult part of this task. Your water meter will be located in the
basement of your home. If you do not have a basement, then the meter will be in a heated crawl space under your home, or on the ground level floor of your home.
The water enters your home through a copper pipe that is ¾ to 1 inch in diameter. This water line comes up through the floor and runs through the water meter, which is approximately 12 to 24 inches above the floor.
Water meter repairs
The City is responsible for your water meter repairs. If you have a problem, please call our Utilities department at 952-563-8777, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, to schedule a repair. After business hours, on weekends, and holidays, please call our 24-hour emergency number at 952-563-4905.
My water meter is in a well pit. How can I keep it from freezing?
During sub-zero temperatures, water meters housed in well pits or enclosed closets may freeze and break. One way to avoid a potential problem is to allow heat to circulate around the meter by leaving the access unobstructed and the doors to the meter closet open.
