Most customers seldom need to turn off the water at the meter and are encouraged to exercise the valve(s) adjacent to the water meter at least 2 to 3 times a year to lessen the chance of the valve breaking. When a valve is not used for years, it can get stuck or break off when trying to open or close it. When this happens, emergency crews need to be called in order to turn off the water at the buffalo box (b-box) which is located in the parkway. This may cause as much as an hour delay. On occasion, when Village personnel arrive to turn off the water, they find that the buffalo box is filled with sediment, which results in the need to clean the box out or possibly even dig it up. Depending on conditions, this may cause a substantial delay.

Call the Water Department a few days before starting your project so they can locate the buffalo box and make sure it is in good working condition.