ADVISORY:

The Board of Water Supply (BWS) has received reports of individuals claiming to be BWS contract workers who are collecting a $10 fee for changing out a water meter battery.  Customers are advised that the BWS and its contractors from PAC Electric Company Inc. and Paul's Electrical Contracting LLC are not collecting payment from customers  for the battery change-out.  Also, most meter boxes are located in the public right-of-way, so workers do not require access to private property.  However, some meter boxes may be located in private property, in which case property owners will be contacted prior to performing the work.

As a reminder, all personnel involved with this project are carrying a signed letter from the BWS as proof of his/her association with water meter battery replacement project.  Residents are encouraged to call the Honolulu Police Department at 9-1-1 if they observe any suspicious activity.  Should they have any questions or want to file an additional report, please call the BWS Communications Office at 748-5041.

Update:  2/25/13

The Board of Water Supply (BWS) will be conducting a water meter battery replacement project beginning February through April 2013.  Approximately 60,000 batteries will be replaced in various locations throughout Oahu.

The battery replacement project is necessary as these batteries are nearing the end of their service lifespan and need to be replaced to enable the BWS to continue to conduct meter reads for billing purposes.

The BWS has contracted PAC Electric Company Inc. and Paul's Electrical Contracting LLC to replace the batteries.  Employees from the contracted companies will be wearing fluorescent yellow PAC Electric or Paul's Electric shirts and will have identification badges.  They may be on foot with pull-carts or in vehicles that are marked with a PAC Electric or Paul's Electric logo.  Each worker will carry a signed letter from the BWS as proof of his/her association with this BWS project.

The work will involve replacing the old batteries with new ones and cleaning out the meter boxes.  Most meter boxes are located in the public right-of-way.  However, some meter boxes may be located in private property, in which case property owners will be contacted prior to performing the work.  Water service will not be disrupted while work is being performed.  Work will only be conducted during the day.

For questions or concerns about this project, please call the Battery Change-Out Office at 748-5462 or email contactus@hbws.org.

Posted: 2/8/13