Keeping the Water Flowing
The Fair Oaks Water District finds new ways to serve customers during the pandemic
COMMENTARY, JUN 19, 2020
By Tom Gray
Recently, a field team member of the Fair Oaks Water District was reading water meters in Fair Oaks Village, the town center, and noticed water bubbling up from the ground near a home. Seeing that it was a leak, he turned off the home’s water at the meter, following normal protocol.
Our customer service team immediately reached out to the homeowner and learned that the woman, in her 80s and recently widowed, was confused about finding a plumber to fix the leak quickly. She was rightfully worried about going without water, especially during the coronavirus emergency. For most water providers, including Fair Oaks Water District, normal operating policies clearly state that our responsibility stops at the meter. It’s up to customers to fix leaks on their property. But, as we all know, these are not normal times. The front-line employees recognized a need, took this situation to the general manager, and the decision was made to repair the leak on the customer’s water line at no charge to the customer.
Over the past several weeks, the coronavirus emergency has provided unexpected opportunities to focus more than ever on serving people — our employees, customers and communities.
