The lids to ground-level water meters were left unlatched after a Citizens Energy employee came through to the Stone Mill subdivision to read the meters.

Resident Lois Grandt said there were gaping holes in almost every front yard, RTV6's Rafael Sanchez reported.

“That’s a big problem in my eyes,” Grandt said.

Many homeowners were unaware of the loose lids until lawnmowers scraped the moving metal plate or children showed parents the hole in their yards.

"I think they should do a better job of opening it and closing it when they read it. If it’s too much of a job for one person, they need to get someone else to help them out," Grandt said.

One resident put a flower pot on his lid to to deter scrap metal thieves.

Many residents said it wasn’t the first time lids had been left off of the meters. In previous cases, people never reported the issue, making it impossible to hold anyone accountable.

In this latest case, Citizens Energy spokeswoman Sarah Holsapple said a customer service representative who took the call for help failed to follow procedure and did not alert a supervisor about the magnitude of the problem.

"This is definitely a safety concern,” Holsapple said.

Citizens Energy eventually sent out a supervisor who fixed the problem involving at least 40 homes.

"The meter readers know that each time they read a meter, the lid should be re-secured properly,” Holsapple said.