Device Inside Water Meter Is At The Center Of This Trickle-Down Theory

A North Seattle couple say that after a city employee changed their meter, the water pressure was so low only a trickle came out the shower head.

"At first I thought maybe the pressure had declined because they were working on the water system," the wife said.

But the problem persisted until after midnight a week ago, so the couple investigated the next day.

They found a mesh basket, 2 1/2 inches in diameter and about an inch deep, inside their water meter and covering the water pipe.

After they removed it, their shower worked properly.

So what was this little device? It turns out that the Seattle Water Department is replacing old water meters with new ones that contain strainers, according to Marianne Picha, community relations supervisor.

The city has approximately 172,000 water meters, of which 130,000 have been replaced.

The device with a mesh strainer may be a relatively new addition to water meters, Picha said, but it is not meant to restrict flow.

Customers have not been notified about the change because crews don't always have to turn off the water to change meters, Picha said. If your water has to be turned off, the department is supposed to notify you.

Seattle's water is purer than that of most other cities, but the city is updating and using the meter with a strainer as a precaution, Picha said.

The homeowner who removed the strainer said that if it had been left on, the device would have begun to gather debris, effectively cutting down the water pressure even more.

Does the Water Department plan to check on the new meters and their strainers to prevent clogging?

No, Picha said. If consumers have problems with water pressure, they should call the department at 684-5800.

As for water conservation, efforts are voluntary. The department suggests consumers use flow restricting devices on shower heads, faucets and in toilets.

Call baiting?

You've seen MCI's television ads promising a discount for you and your "calling circle" of friends.

List from one to 12 family members and/or friends you frequently call long-distance and you'll get a 20 percent discount, the ads say.

But the ads don't make clear that the people listed in your "circle" will be called and asked to join MCI. And your name will be used as a reference.

If your friends are not MCI subscribers, you don't get a discount.

Dave Hooyer, an MCI customer, sent his list of friends to the long-distance carrier because the discount sounded like a good deal.

Later Hooyer learned MCI had switched his friends in Virginia to its long-distance service, though they didn't know it at the time.

Printed materials about the discount program do ask customers whether they want MCI to contact their "calling circle," or whether the individual wants to do that, said Michelle Payer, MCI's western spokeswoman.

Payer says Hooyer's complaint is the first she's heard about the promotion, which started in March.

Hooyer phoned MCI to complain about sales techniques. The customer-service representatives got "very defensive," he said.

Magazine mix-up

M.L., West Seattle: Yours is not the only complaint we have received concerning United Subscription Service Inc.

The company says its records show you are receiving Prevention magazine, but you say you ordered Protection magazine.

When you write - again - to straighten this out, please drop us a copy of your letter.

Happy endings

M.W., Beacon Hill: Hanover Direct Inc. of Hanover, Pa., says the items you ordered remain on its "delayed" shipping list. So you're getting a $63.95 refund.

A.L., Magnolia: Happy we could help straighten out your mail-order problems.