Thieves steal water from fire hydrants in East Contra Costa County

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. -- The drought has some people so desperate they're stealing water from fire hydrants. The reports are coming from East Contra Costa County where people rely on well water. Now, one water district could raise the fine for stealing water.

Residential wells are drying up in Contra Costa County and thousands of gallons of water are being stolen from hydrants, like the one near Marsh Creek Road in Clayton.

Jennifer Allen from the Contra Costa Water District said, "Our board is now considering increasing the fine that we have in place in order to create more of a deterrent for people that might be tempted to steal."

It is $250 for the first offense and $500 for the next one. The fines have already been raised in the Dublin-San Ramon Services District. But thieves are still tapping hydrants with hoses. A construction contractor was recently fined for stealing 700 gallons of water.

Sue Stephenson from the Dublin-San Ramon Services District said, "It was a $2,084 fine; $12.88 was the cost of the water. How ridiculous."

Meters are available to keep track of water usage for anyone who wants to purchase water from a hydrant.

Another reason for using a meter at the hydrant is that the meter has something called a backflow device, which protects the water supply from getting contaminated.

The water districts are hoping the water thieves realize it's cheaper and safer to just buy it.