City of Toronto confirms legitimacy of water meter pilot project after resident questions home entry request

The City of Toronto is assuring residents that they’re not being scammed following concerns about the legitimacy of water meter inspection requests.

Some confusion arose after a Reddit user said a person claiming to be from the city circled their home and requested entry to their basement apartment.

According to the post, the city worker allegedly removed a device from the exterior of their building before knocking on the front door and requesting entry to fix the meter transmission unit (MTU), a mechanism that is often located in the basement, the city told Now Toronto in a statement on Wednesday.

The user says that after refusing the person entry twice they were presented with an orange city branded leaflet requesting written permission to enter the apartment.

Despite the skepticism, city spokesperson Russell Baker confirmed that the orange slip is legitimate and that up to 500 households will be approached with a similar request.

“The City has launched a pilot project to replace failed MTUs,” Baker explained.

“The project is supposed to help develop strategies to mitigate the failure of these units, which transmit water usage information to the city. Access to the transmission units is required as part of the process, he continued.

About 30 per cent of MTUs fail prematurely, Baker added.

The city takes numerous measures to protect against scams, which include giving residents a fair warning of an upcoming notice of entry. Nonetheless, it urges residents to take precautions if they are unsure of the validity of a request. 

Visits that require access to a home are scheduled in advance over the phone. In addition,

all city employees are required to carry and display identification before entering a home.

Residents can verify appointments and the identity of city staff by calling 311, the city’s non-emergency line.