Water bandit memo takes aim at plugging Markham problem leak
Heavier fines, more enforcement, city bulk water sales coming

yorkregion.com
June 4, 2017
By Tim Kelly

It seems the City of Markham is trying to get serious in its effort to deal with water bandits.

This past Monday, the city's director of Environmental Services, Phoebe Fu, released a four-page memo to the mayor and all members of city council that details what steps the city intends to take to prevent water theft.

In a recent story in the Economist and Sun and online on York Region Media, it was revealed up to $30,000 in water was stolen from the city's fire hydrants by water bandits in 2016 when just five official reports of water theft took place. The memo said one company was fined $500 after it was caught stealing water after "being warned."

In Fu's memo, the city says it is using three methods to deter thieves from water theft:

1. Physical deterrent: This is the use of anti-tampering or locking devices on fire hydrants which the city says are now in place on about 100 of 8,639 hydrants in the city. The cost is about $100 per lock and they're not considered effective according to the memo as thieves will just move on to hydrants that don't contain the devices. Firefighters don't support them because they "delay firefighting activities."

2. Enforcement: Bylaws prohibit anyone from taking water from city hydrants. The city says it will try to provide more stringent penalties; though water theft can be heavily penalized more than a fine of $500. Fines can range as high as $50,000.

3. Public education: "Love your hydrant" is a campaign that started in 2013. "The goal was to educate residents about proper care of neighbourhood hydrants," including reporting of unauthorized use such as water theft.

The next steps Fu recommends include staff revising the current bylaw to increase the fine for water theft, a request that all water tankers be licensed, continuing the “Love your Hydrant” campaign to encourage residents to report water theft, promote businesses to purchase bulk water from the city with a new bulk water station opening later this month, and to meet with York Regional Police to discuss water theft and seek support in enforcement of water theft.