Use meter and portal evidence with clean controls

DECISION GUIDE 07

Make the next action fit the evidence

Use the condition described here to narrow the first safe action, the responsible contact, and the written authorization.

Do not pay for certainty that the observable pattern does not support.

OBSERVE

Preserve the useful clues

List irrigation, toilets, treatment cycles, ice makers, recirculation, and appliances. Capture start and end readings and the exact interval with those uses paused.

Write the time, fixture, room, and use that preceded the change.
Photograph the wider context before taking a detail view.
Keep model labels, bills, prior repair records, and test results together.

CONTAIN

Choose the safe boundary

Do not operate utility equipment or assume one quiet interval rules out intermittent use. Contact Santa Rosa Water for meter or account interpretation.

Containment should reduce harm without erasing evidence or transferring risk to gas, electricity, wastewater, finishes, or utility equipment.

AUTHORIZE

Put the first scope in writing

Give the provider the recorded trend and paused systems. Ask which isolation will narrow the private path before opening or excavation.

Ask what is included, excluded, and still unknown.
Set the price or authorization boundary before work expands.
Define the test or record that will show completion.

SANTA ROSA SOURCE

Check the current public guidance

Santa Rosa Water use and restriction resources

The city links water-use tracking, alerts, and current conservation guidance.

Before the visit Preserve the pattern and clear only safe access.
At diagnosis Ask what observation or measurement supports the conclusion.
Before repair Verify the legal provider and compare the complete written scope.
At closeout Review tests, remaining limits, permits, cleanup, and documents.