Stealing water from hydrant

[mattblast]

Here is what I saw Friday morning walking the dog.



Took this photo and as I'm dialing 911 the guys quickly disconnected, hopped into the truck and drove off.

Police car arrived only a minute or two later. Only evidence was a wet spot on road.



Never heard of theft of water before. Figured these tankers would pull up to river and pump full of water.

And then on the way to work called 911 again after I almost drove over open pothole. Cover was up the road a few feet.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Don't know if it was the case in this situation, but contractors will often have permits from the city to get water from hydrants for construction projects.

 

[bobmulry]

Don't know if it was the case in this situation, but contractors will often have permits from the city to get water from hydrants for construction projects.

Not without a sealed meter and that hose has no meter attached....

 

[bczygan]

Did you give the photo to the cops?

 

[jwh]

Good of you to call 911.

Hydrants here (and I'm sure in NJ also) are on water main that supplys your house. There are vents on the bottom of the hydrant under the frost line to drain the barrel (up right portion) of the hydrant so it won't freeze in winter. The vents are open UNLESS the hydrant is CLOSED or FULLY OPENED. Open part way they are venting, washing out the footing so mud can get in there and clog things up.
Result: water in the barrel that freezes.

They probably opened the hydrant with a pipe wrench too. That messes up the pentagon shaped nuts on the caps and the stem!

 

[BigDaveZJ]

Did you give the photo to the cops?

This. Plate is visible and faces are good enough.

 

[Lx460]

911 because...why?

911 is for life and death situation requiring immediate assistance. There is no need to clog up the system for something like this. You could have looked up the non-emergency number just as easily since you already had your photographic evidence.

I don't think 911 is for potholes either...

 

[Kevin54]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 9-1-1 for a REAL emergency, and not some guys that may very well be permitted to fill their tanker from the city hydrant to fill a pool somewhere? If anything, I would have called the regular number and spoke with a dispatcher who may have a little more time, instead of sending the cops out on something that probably doesn't amount to ****. Or since you had a pic, called the water department instead to see what they said, and if they wanted to pursue it, then you could have gave them the pic. Too many people today call 9-1-1 for things that aren't real EMERGENCIES

 

[jchetty]

All utility companies have a theft of service hotline. If you know who handles the water service, you can find that info on a bill or go online.

You did the right thing. I hope you follow up with the water company.

 

[jchetty]

911 because...why?

911 is for life and death situation requiring immediate assistance. There is no need to clog up the system for something like this. You could have looked up the non-emergency number just as easily since you already had your photographic evidence.

I don't think 911 is for potholes either...

You could not be more wrong.

 

[maynard9089]

The bigger concern for me is the lack of a backflow preventor on the hydrant. We recently had a hydroseeder in a local town hook up without a backflow device and several neighborhoods went without water for 3 days while the lines were flushed.

 

[nehog]

1. He was reporting a crime, of course 911 was appropriate.
2. He was reporting a hazardous road condition, an open manhole could easily cause a fatal accident.

Sheesh.

 

[Lx460]

You could not be more wrong.

Maybe residents of New Jersey are different than the rest of the planet...

http://www.911.gov/whencall.html

I didn't see potholes on the list at all. Call whomever you wish, whenever you wish. You're at a minimum 1500 miles away from me, so I really don't care.

 

[Rogue1987]

Not without a sealed meter and that hose has no meter attached....

I can from first hand knowledge state that in my County if youve got a permit (free for Municipal work) there's no meter involved at all for a hookup to a fire hydrant, tho you do need a backflow with a good certification.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[S4cruiser]

I saw the same thing yesterday morning in an industrial park. Was a pool water tanker. Didn't call it in but thought about it.

 

[Dagny]

I would have done nothing they look like working men.

 

[The Cobbler]

if these guys had a permit to draw water, they would be using a safety shut off at the hydrant in the event the hydrant broke. just sayin...

 

[jchetty]

Maybe residents of New Jersey are different than the rest of the planet...

http://www.911.gov/whencall.html

I didn't see potholes on the list at all. Call whomever you wish, whenever you wish. You're at a minimum 1500 miles away from me, so I really don't care.

I didn't say anything about potholes. You made a statement, a wrong one. Good thing you don't care when you are wrong, I can see that being a common occurence

 

[WNYflyer]

The bigger concern for me is the lack of a backflow preventor on the hydrant. We recently had a hydroseeder in a local town hook up without a backflow device and several neighborhoods went without water for 3 days while the lines were flushed.

Funny you should bring that up I was thinking the same thing since you are probably talking about my town. Luckily it didn't effect my side of town.

 

[Bigfork G]

They may have had a air gap so that's the same as a back flow. And how does anyone know maybe the meter was mounted on the truck. The city makes you purchase the meter and they are not cheap. So it could be mounted to protect the meter for workers lack of caring.

 

[weadjust]

Here if you call the regular police dept phone # for something trivial and a non-emergency. They tell you to hang up and call 911 so there is record/log of every call.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Not without a sealed meter and that hose has no meter attached....

AND............... they gotta have an anti back flow valve attached with the meter also.

Good of you to call 911.

Hydrants here (and I'm sure in NJ also) are on water main that supplys your house. There are vents on the bottom of the hydrant under the frost line to drain the barrel (up right portion) of the hydrant so it won't freeze in winter. The vents are open UNLESS the hydrant is CLOSED or FULLY OPENED. Open part way they are venting, washing out the footing so mud can get in there and clog things up.
Result: water in the barrel that freezes.

They probably opened the hydrant with a pipe wrench too. That messes up the pentagon shaped nuts on the caps and the stem!

True. From what I've read, most places up north have a crew that comes behind the fireman to pump out the hydrants in the winter. I recall reading about one city that was experiencing a bunch of fires and the crews were having a difficult time getting the hydrants pumped out before they froze.

And then on the way to work called 911 again after I almost drove over open pothole. Cover was up the road a few feet.

I think the OP means MANhole, not pothole, since a cover is mentioned.

Charles

 

[Premium08]

We use hydrants to fill our wash tanks all the time. Usually an adapter to 3/4in water hose and leave an air gap. Municipalities don't give us an actual permit its just -hey, where can we get water from and they point us to the nearest hydrant. We are of course washing out their water tanks when doing this.

 

[mmack66]

Okay, it wasn't a pothole, it was an open manhole.

Don't they always answer "911. What's your emergency?"

 

[Hpozzuoli]

You definitely don't call 911 for water poachers

You should call for an open manhole. Every so often you hear of folks dying because they fall in them or it causes a serious crash.

Like everything else in life, think before you act.

 

[ratdoggy]

911 because...why?

911 is for life and death situation requiring immediate assistance. There is no need to clog up the system for something like this. You could have looked up the non-emergency number just as easily since you already had your photographic evidence.

I don't think 911 is for potholes either...

I've in the past tried calling the local precinct over loud neighbors (that kind of stuff) and was always told to call 911 (which didn't make sense but 911 dispatches the LEO's)

 

[Big Bad Dad]

So thats why they disconnected and drove off quickly? I see no meter, and the backflow issue has killed people in my city where a Contractor overpressured the municipal water system and accidentally pumped a poison chemical into it! As far as this **** about looking up the proper number, how long would it take to do it, and then how long would you wait on hold. Or what about "off hours"? Calling 911 was appropriate in this case. It,s not like the OP called to complain about his hamburger order.......

 

[colt zantop]

Ha! My buddies grandpa use to do this years ago to spray his horse track to keep dust down. Never thought about it being illegal. I was like 15 at the time so the last thing I was worried about was someone stealing water. Lol

 

[SeattleKent]

I'm going to suggest everyone look up the non-emergency number for police in their area and save it as a contact called 'police'.

Out here the non-emergency number is directed to 911. Only after you convince the 911 people that it does not require their help will they pass you on to the office.

Here the OP was totally correct in calling 911 for both. First was a theft. Second was a dangerous situation. Like the police say, better to call too much rather than not enough.

 

[jlckmj]

This time of year they werer probably stealing the water to fill swimming pools. I would give the cops the picture, those guys have the opportunity to buy from municipalities and then sell it to the private citizens. I called last year to see how much it cost to fill my 15 x 30 above ground pool and it was in the area of $600.00, I decided to just use my garden hose and pay the city for it.

They are getting it free, and do you think they are discounting the price to the pool owners? NOT A CHANCE ! That would probably be felony theft with the size of that tanker,

Jim

You are paying for it through taxes, so it is your water.

 

[wasfuzz]

In our county ALL calls for service go thru 911, non emergency numbers are not listed. Was set up that way when we first got 911 in 1985-6, As all local Police and Fire are dispatched thru the county call center. That way as was stated above all calls were documented and a Incident Report Number assigned.