Water Meter Technician

Water Meter Technician

Join the City of Paso Robles Water Division and play a key role in supporting reliable water service for our community. As a water meter technician, you'll work in the field installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), responding to customer service requests, and ensuring accurate water usage data that supports billing, conservation, and efficient utility operations. Every day brings a mix of hands-on technical work, problem-solving, and opportunities to make a meaningful impact for our customers.

The ideal candidate is a dependable, safety-conscious professional who enjoys hands-on field work and solving technical problems. They are comfortable using computers, handheld devices, and electronic testing equipment, communicate professionally with customers, and exercise sound judgment when identifying and resolving service issues. They take pride in accurate, quality work, adapt well to changing priorities, and thrive as part of a collaborative team dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and maintaining the City's water metering infrastructure.

The following duties are typical of this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the duties set forth below and/or may be required to perform additional related duties to address City needs and evolving business practices.

• Installs, programs, configures, tests, inspects, diagnoses, repairs, replaces, and maintains residential and commercial water meters, AMI meters, and related metering equipment for new and existing service connections.
• Monitors and troubleshoots AMI system performance, including communication failures, connectivity issues, inaccurate readings, and meter malfunctions.
• Operates computer software, handheld devices, electronic testing equipment, and AMI technologies related to automated meter reading, meter programming, and customer service operations.
• Retrieves, reviews, analyzes, uploads, and verifies meter data for billing, asset management, and work order systems to ensure accurate water usage records and customer billing.
• Reviews meter readings and consumption data to identify irregularities, high or low usage, leaks, non-operational meters, and other service-related concerns; performs re-reads and corrective actions as necessary.
• Responds to customer service requests and field investigations involving leaks, stuck or broken meters, pressure concerns, high or low usage complaints, and other water service issues.
• Performs water service turn-ons, shut-offs, transfer readings, and final readings in accordance with assigned schedules, routes, and departmental procedures.
• Investigates customer billing and service concerns; provides customers with information regarding water usage, consumption trends, service interruptions, and conservation-related matters.
• Uses independent judgment to identify service issues, recommend corrective actions, and coordinate resolutions related to customer water service and metering systems.
• Delivers delinquency and past-due notices and disconnects water service for non-payment in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Locates buried or obstructed meters; adjusts meter box elevations; repairs or replaces damaged boxes and lids; and maintains vegetation and access around meter locations.
• Performs valve maintenance, leak detection activities, and minor service line maintenance; reports service defects, unauthorized water use, unusual flow conditions, and mainline leaks for repair.
• Reports illegal water usage, unauthorized hydrant use, and water-use violations in accordance with City policies and regulations.
• Interprets maps, blueprints, diagrams, utility records, and electronic locating tools to identify meter locations and underground infrastructure.
• Coordinates work activities, service installations, repairs, and timelines with other City departments, contractors, and utility personnel.
• Completes forms, prepares reports, maintains electronic records, and documents completed inspections, repairs, service requests, and field assignments.
• May perform work in confined spaces.

Knowledge of:

• Methods, materials, tools, and equipment used in the installation, programming, testing, maintenance, repair, and servicing of residential and commercial water meters and Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems.
• Principles, practices, and operational characteristics of AMI, meter communication systems, electronic meter components, and automated meter reading technologies.
• Methods and techniques for retrieving, compiling, analyzing, and validating water consumption and meter usage data for billing and operational purposes.
• Operational characteristics, maintenance requirements, and repair procedures for a variety of water meters, valves, service lines, regulators, and related water distribution components.
• Methods and techniques used to investigate and resolve customer service issues related to water consumption, pressure complaints, leaks, billing discrepancies,…