California American Water Announces Program To Prevent Water Theft

In cooperation with local law enforcement, company works to stop illegal hydrant use

Pacific Grove, CA /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - California American Water announced today that it is on the lookout for instances of water theft, a crime which most often occurs when water is taken from a fire hydrant without the required authorizations.

"Water theft certainly accounts for a portion of our water losses," said General Manager Craig Anthony. "We understand there are legitimate reasons for the use of water from a fire hydrant, however, there is a process in place for obtaining permission to use that water and we want people to understand and follow the process. Those who do not have permission and do not follow the process will be reported to the local authorities for prosecution."

Contractors who need to use water from a fire hydrant for any project are required to apply for and obtain a hydrant meter permit from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. If the permit is obtained from the District, the permit must then be presented to California American Water for issuance of a portable water meter which ensures that any water taken from a fire hydrant will be measured and billed. The district requires that permits expire after 60 days but may be extended twice.

"We've instructed our employees who are out in the field every day to investigate hydrant use," explained Mr. Anthony. "When we find a hydrant connection we confirm there is a permit from the water management district, that the meter is ours and that the permittee is up to date on its account."

California American Water is also in the process of installing rings on one-third of their approximately 3,500 fire hydrants. The rings state, in English and Spanish, that unauthorized use of fire hydrants is water theft, warning that violators will be prosecuted. According to Mr. Anthony, water theft generally occurs in remote locations. "We are concentrating installation of rings on hydrants in areas where water theft is most likely to occur," he said. "And we are trying to educate people that unless they are with the fire department, hydrants are off-limits without prior authorization."

The company has also reached out to local law enforcement agencies to make them aware of the program and ask for their cooperation in treating water theft as a serious crime. "We've received a positive response," said Anthony. "Everyone appreciates how important it is to save water on the Monterey Peninsula."

California American Water is also asking that anyone in possession of a portable water meter issued by the company, bring it to the California American Water business office in Pacific Grove during normal business hours to confirm needed permits are up to date. The office is located at 511 Forest Lodge Road, Suite 100 in Pacific Grove.

The company has launched a comprehensive campaign to do everything in its power to reduce water losses, which includes a $15 million project to replace pipelines prone to leakage in the City of Seaside, installation of new audio technology that detects leaks before they surface and increased vigilance to eliminate water theft.

California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 600,000 people.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

SOURCE California American Water