Businesses warned about water theft

Businesses illegally tapping into fire and third-party hydrants are costing water companies millions of litres in lost water, and putting lives at risk by jeopardising firefighters’ ability to tackle blazes, water firm Yorkshire water has warned.

Yorkshire Water has estimated that it currently loses up to 20 million litres of water every month as a result of such activity. It says that the recent dry conditions, coupled with the challenging operating conditions many businesses now face, appears to have exacerbated the problem, with water theft in the region predicted to have reached an all-time high in July, with an estimated 25 million litres of water likely to have been illegally siphoned from hydrants over just 31 days.

It also says that, whilst the amount of water illegally abstracted from hydrants is rapidly growing, there has been a big drop in the number of reported incidents of such abuse – indicating, it believes, that either many incidents are going unreported or that a smaller number of hydrant abusers are illegally obtaining ever larger quantities of water.

Between January and July 2010, there were reports of 78 separate incidents of hydrant abuse, compared with last year when 207 incidents were reported.

Melanie Dawson, Customer Metering and Billing, said: “At a time when most people are doing their bit to conserve water, it's shocking to think that the actions of a small minority of illegal operators are costing the region millions of litres in lost or wasted water.

“From previous cases of hydrant abuse, we know that most businesses that are caught know that they are in the wrong.  However, the temptation to save money during these difficult economic times, along with the fact that water is in high demand following the driest sprint and summer in decades, has meant that many businesses continue to tap into hydrants without a licence or the correct equipment.

“We want them to know that their actions can have extremely serious consequences.  Not only do they risk damaging fire hydrants, and consequently endangering human lives, but their actions can also lead to water discolouration or even temporary loss of supply - which at its worse can affect thousands of people.

 “While both the fire brigade and ourselves carry out regular inspections, there have been instances where emergency services have arrived at a fire only to find that the hydrant is damaged. This puts lives at risk and those responsible face a court appearance and potentially a hefty fine.

“In the last eight months we have successfully prosecuted five businesses found to be illegally tapping into fire or third-party hydrants, with offenders receiving a maximum £1,000 fine per offence plus legal costs.   We have also issued more than two dozen cautions - essentially last warnings - to businesses across the region in the past year.

“Businesses are required to use a metered standpipe which is no more than an inch in diameter, as a larger bore can damage the attachment on the hydrant, much like a screw with a worn thread, and put undue pressure on the supply pipe.  It is estimated that someone using an illegal three-inch standpipe could abstract about 1,000 litres of water in less than a minute.”