Hydrant Meter Program

Once the deposit and application fees are paid and the Hydrant Meter Agreement has been received, a hydrant meter with a gate valve will be issued and can be picked up at City Hall, located at 200 City Center Circle.   DO NOT operate the fire hydrant to control the volume of water.  Use the gate valve on the meter to control the volume of water.  DO NOT put the hydrant meter in the back of a pickup truck.  It needs to be placed inside your vehicle.

When finished with the hydrant meter, return to City Hall and a final reading will be taken. Once the final bill has been paid, the deposit will be refunded, minus any damages, to the credit card charged.  It is the responsibility of each customer to protect the hydrant meter from damage or theft.

The applicant will be responsible for any damage done to the hydrant meter and/or the City of Boardman’s water distribution system caused by the abuse, vandalism, neglect, or misuse of the hydrant meter.  A few examples are, but not limited to, breaking the hydrant stem by using too much torque, not using a hydrant wrench, damage to weep holes, breaking any part of the meter/hydrant.

Costs associated with damage will be billed to the applicant by the City and could result in the denial of future use of a hydrant meter.  The applicant should remove and secure the hydrant meter nightly for protection.  All roadways and road shoulders shall be returned to the conditions they were in before the fire hydrant usage by the customer.  The City reserves the right to shut down any customer's usage of the fire hydrant if damaging or unsafe practices are observed.  Persons caught taking water from fire hydrants, curb stops, or other water valves without proper authorization or metering are subject to criminal prosecution.

When the hydrant is open and the meter valve is closed, the hydrant base is constantly filled with water. In freezing weather, this could damage the hydrant and the meter. It is the responsibility of the contractor to close the hydrant and open the gate valve to drain the water from the meter when it is not in use. A hydrant wrench is the only acceptable tool to operate a hydrant.

When the hydrant needs to be shut off, do it slowly. Closing a hydrant too fast may cause a water hammer. When opening the hydrant, it must be opened all the way. Using a hydrant in a half-opened position will cause damage to the hydrant weeps and may cause flooding around the hydrant.