Columbia water department employees will now be instructed to call the police if they see evidence of tampering with meters.
The Board of Aldermen, Mayor Justin McKenzie and Water Supervisor Michael McDaniel discussed problems with water theft during a special meeting Monday night.
“We recently made the decision to lock the meters when they are turned off,” McKenzie said. “Michael purchased some locks and he brought it to my attention that we’ve had several locks cut. There were two meters broken and 11 locks cut.”
The meeting followed a day of training on new water department software that should make it easier for the city to track water problems and accounts.
McDaniel said they went through and spot checked to find the broken locks. He said new meters cost around $500 and each lock is $13.
“It doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you get 10 locks messed up, it’s $130,” he said. “Two meters is $1,000.”
He said they’ve already relocked some of these meters and they’re “probably cut already.”
McKenzie said it’s a criminal offense based on city ordinance, and a police officer could investigate and file charges. There are also tamper fees that can be assessed.
He said there’s a question of whether to remove the meters if the city locks the meter a second time and it’s cut again.
“It would create some time consumption for Michael and his crews. With this old brittle pipe, when they undo them it could cause problems,” McKenzie said.
Alderman-at-Large Edward Hough asked about the type of lock or ways to secure the meters.
“Some of them are cutting the lock, but the thing is, where the valve cuts off is brass and it has two little ears,” McDaniel said. “They are breaking those. They beat that brass until they break it off.”
“That’s tampering,” Hough said.
McKenzie agreed.
“That’s malicious intent to defraud the city of water,” he said. “Maliciously breaking it off is a problem: They are stealing from the city.”
McKenzie said damage to a $500 meter would be worthy of the police conducting an investigation.
“This is intentional and we need people to understand that it is a criminal offense,” the mayor said. “This isn’t just an ‘oops, we bumped the water meter with a weed eater.’”
The Board also discussed pay of an individual in the water department and capping of sewer pipes on sites where homes had been demolished to prevent contamination.
The Board’s next meeting will be at 4 p.m. March 6.
