Residents asked to check automatic sprinkler timers, comply with watering hours

Officials with the Town of Stevensville's Public Works Department are asking residents to check that their automatic sprinkler timers are set to the correct watering schedule.

"We receive a lot of calls about non-compliance from concerned citizens in the community," said Laura Miller, the Town's Utilities Clerk. "When we make contact with those who are not observing the hours we often find that their timer was not set to the right time or schedule."

The Public Works Department says this issue is an honest mistake, and easy to correct. Reset timers are even more common of an occurrence this summer, as NorthWestern Energy works through the community replacing power meters. Officials say that when a power meter is replaced, is causes an interruption to service and may reset timers if they do not have a backup source of power. Officials recommend ensuring that the backup battery in the sprinkler control box is working, if it is equipped with one.

Power outages are also common during storms and severe weather. If you notice the power may have gone out, check your sprinkler timer to ensure the time is set correctly. It's also a good time to ensure that the proper watering schedule is being observed.