Service Lines

The meter is located at the edge of the public easement or right-of-way. The meter is where the service line transitions from public to private responsibility.

 Water Meter Maintenance

Water meters need to be read and maintained routinely. Parked vehicles, overgrown plants, yard debris, and construction materials prevent meter readers and maintenance crews from accessing meters, causing costly delays. You can help by minimizing plantings in the area around your meters. If plantings obstruct meters, you’ll be asked to prune or remove them, or Rainbow can do the work if you prefer.

Contact Rainbow at 541-746-1676 if you are unable to find your water meter or need other assistance regarding your water meter.

Shutting Off Water

Knowing where your water meter is located and ensuring it is not obstructed will help you shut water off quickly if a pipe bursts or a major appliance fails or in non-emergency situations, such as when replacing a water heater or installing a sprinkler system.

Your home may have an interior shut-off valve in the locations listed below:

• Crawl space or basement, where the water line enters the home
• Garage where the water line enters the wall or ceiling, near the water heater or laundry hookup
• Outside near the foundations, often protected by a concrete ring or clay pipe

If no interior shut-off valve exists, you may find a customer-owned shut-off valve at the meter box on the side of the meter closest to the house. If no customer-owned shut-off valve exists, you are encouraged to install one. Only Rainbow employees are permitted to operate the utility-owned shut-off valve, which is located on the side of the meter closest to the street.

Water Shut Off Emergency

Rainbow does not allow a property owner or contractor to operate the utility-owned shut-off valve unless Rainbow provides approval under emergency conditions. If you have an emergency and need help shutting off your water at the meter, please call 541-746-1676. This number is answered 24/7 with an answering service dispatching our On Call Water Operator as needed.

If a customer operates the utility-owned shut-off valve – with or without Rainbow’s approval – and Rainbow’s facilities are damaged, the property owner will be responsible for all costs to repair or replace these facilities to original conditions.