Water thieves tap supplies to beat the dry
By Anthony Chance,WNS Australia Correspondent
MELBOURNE - Thieves have stolen enough water to fill more than 1200 Olympic-size swimming pools as the drought worsens. Goulburn-Murray Water is investigating 28 cases of water theft this year, involving up to 3000 megalitres. The authority's water delivery services manager, Ian Moorhouse, said tankers were used to steal the water from irrigation channels, or meters were tampered with. He said people from places with severe water restrictions were stealing water for their gardens. "You've got to be pretty desperate," Mr Moorhouse said. "We haven't prosecuted anybody … but we've identified a number of people who claim to be unaware that you can't just back up a tanker and take the water."
Penalties include a maximum fine of $6000 and six months' jail for a first offence, and a maximum $12,000 fine and a year's jail for further offences. "We've increased surveillance of our system, put staff out on weekends and at nights," Mr Moorhouse said. He said Goulburn-Murray Water, which is responsible for 68,000 square kilometres of land area and manages more than 70 per cent of the state's stored water, had a zero tolerance to water theft. "Water theft is not stealing from GMW, it's stealing from the community, because it's only a finite resource," he said. "With our irrigation systems, it's not like you just turn the tap on. You've got to order water and give several days' notice when you want it and the water's regulated through the channel system. So if someone takes it along the way, it doesn't get to where it's supposed to go. It affects other customers."
Northern Grampians police have reported signs that water thefts are on the rise. At Minyip, the fire brigade has been forced to padlock its bore tap. A sign next to the padlock tells people that water should not be taken without permission. In Melbourne, water companies City West Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water say water theft has yet to become a serious problem. One Carrum Downs man was charged in 2004 with stealing water after manipulating his water meter. South East Water spokesman Luke Enright said the company was investigating a customer's claim that water had been stolen from his holiday house at Frankston. He said the customer claimed the water was used to fill a neighbour's pool and water their garden."In instances like that, it's obviously difficult to prove but water theft is not a major issue for us at the moment," Mr Enright said. "We're obviously concerned about any theft from the system but there hasn't been a big spike in water theft."
posted by wnsworld @ 11:55 PM
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