Resident held hostage – by water meter
A Bellevue man has thanked the North Eastern Tribune for getting Joburg Water to attend to his issue.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2014/03/meter.jpg)
Peter Gallagher had his water meter stolen over a month ago. Upon replacing it, the entity’s technician placed the new above-ground meter in front of his gate, preventing Gallagher from driving in and out of his driveway.
When the paper contacted the entity to inquire about the issue, a technician was sent to fix it.
Spokesperson for Joburg Water Millicent Kabwe said, “Once we learnt about the customer complaint, we went on-site to move the meter; the customer who was present was satisfied as to where we had placed it.”
Kabwe added the entity has adopted a new policy of installing above-ground meters because they are easier to locate and will reduce the number of covered meters, which technicians are unable to be read.
“Our standard [procedure] is installing them as close as possible to the boundary wall, out of the way of pedestrians. The height is generally dictated by how deep the house connection is running below the ground surface,” she explained.
Gallagher said, “Thank you very much [North Eastern Tribune] for all your help. Had it not been for you, I would still be held a ‘prisoner’ in my own home.”