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Customers encouraged to use caution
In late February, there was a news story involving two men posing as water inspectors who forced their way into a local home. While the descriptions of this event varied somewhat, at least one version indicated that the persons involved claimed to be Medford Water Commission employees, either wanting to look at pipes in the home or to check the water pressure. In other Oregon communities, there have been recent situations involving people posing as employees of utility companies claiming to need immediate payment at the door, or water/power would be turned off.
Such stories could understandably cause customers to wonder how they can be sure whether a person claiming to be a water utility employee is legitimate or preying on unsuspecting residents. The following is offered to provide some guidance relative to identifying Medford Water Commission employees in such circumstances.
Are there times when a Medford Water Commission (MWC) employee would knock on a customer’s door?
Yes, there are situations in which MWC employees or representatives would have reason to personally contact a customer. Examples include:
- Informing customers that their water will be out of service for a period of time. Personal contact is usually attempted before leaving a door hanger.
- Notifying a customer that they have a leak requiring repair. Typically this would occur after other forms of notification had been unsuccessful (written notice, incorrect phone number).
- Backflow program employees and contractors routinely visit individual properties. MWC employees conducting neighborhood surveys to determine the locations of backflow prevention devices will knock on doors, as will contractors providing the annual testing of these devices.
- Water quality employees and water conservation staff visit personal properties, but this is nearly always pre-arranged.
Will clothing and vehicles display the Medford Water Commission logo? Do employees carry MWC-issued identification?
Most Medford Water Commission vehicles are prominently marked with the MWC logo. Those few without a logo have Medford Water Commission written in a narrow stripe on the side of the vehicle. Also, license plates on MWC vehicles all begin with the letter “E.”
Additionally, MWC field crews wear uniforms with the MWC logo embroidered on shirts and jackets. Conservation and Water Quality employees who regularly visit the public also wear shirts and jackets with MWC logos. Any staff, whether wearing uniforms or not, should be able to provide ID cards and/or business cards.
Inspections of backflow prevention devices are done by contractors for MWC, not MWC employees. However, these contractors are provided with cards and vehicle decals that identify them as MWC contractors. So they too should always be easily identifiable.
Would MWC employees ever ask to enter a residence?
Our employees would not have reasons to enter a home on a random visit. MWC does not work on residential plumbing and in turn usually has no need to view it.
If an employee visits a residence to take a pressure reading, it is normally done due to a request by the customer or their contractor. While our employee will knock on the door first, the readings themselves can be taken at an outdoor hose bib, so do not require entering the house.
There are a few circumstances under which MWC employees would go into a residence, but these would almost always be in response to a customer request, with an appointment arranged ahead of time. For example, water quality employees will visit individual properties in response to customers’ water quality inquiries, and water samples will typically be requested from indoor faucets in doing an investigation. Water conservation staff verifying toilet rebate requests will also need to view the installed toilets, but these visits are similarly scheduled beforehand by the resident and staff member.
Will a Medford Water Commission employee ever knock on the door to request immediate payment to avoid water shutoff?
No, our employees do not knock on customer’s doors for payment to avoid water shutoff. By the time shutoff occurs, at least two notices have been mailed to the customer notifying them of the need to make immediate payment. So customers who are at risk of having water shut off as a result of overdue charges should be well aware of that. A request for payment at the door should be considered particularly suspicious if payments are current.
If customers are still concerned, can they call MWC to verify the identity of a visitor claiming to be a MWC employee?
Yes, a customer can always call our office at 541-774-2430 during business hours to verify a person claiming to be a MWC employee.
If the visit occurs after normal business hours, particular caution is warranted. It is not uncommon to see our meter reading staff restoring water service after 5 pm following shutoff on a weekday. However, it would be unusual for our staff to go to a customer’s door outside of normal business hours without a request by the customer.
If no request for an after-hours visit was made, a call to our after-hours number at 541-779-7611 would be warranted. A legitimate employee would be willing to wait on the front porch while the customer does so. The after-hours operator should have the name of the MWC employee who is currently on-call, and our on-call employee will have a phone in their possession that the operator can call to confirm their whereabouts.
Our employees should always be able to verify their identity. However, given the prevalence of scams and the ease by which criminals can produce professional looking documentation, it is both understandable and encouraged that our customers use caution to assure their safety. We hope this information is helpful in providing guidance and addressing concerns.
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