Ontario man charged with stealing water from town hydrants

An unusual spike in water usage led to the arrest of a Kingston, Ontario man accused of stealing water from Gananoque town fire hydrants. Gananoque police received complaints on June 4 and 5 about suspicious activity. About a week later, public utility employees detected a significant water draw, prompting officers to find a water truck connected to a fire hydrant.

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The reality is that when someone damages or steals from a municipality, they actually increase the cost of municipal service delivery for all the other taxpayers.

The 44-year-old driver was arrested and now faces charges including two counts of theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. The town has not reported any impact on water service or firefighter response, but the mayor, John Beddows, voiced his disappointment.

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I’m frankly disappointed in this case.

“The reality is that when someone damages or steals from a municipality, they actually increase the cost of municipal service delivery for all the other taxpayers,” Beddows stated. He emphasized that such actions add costs to water production, affecting all residents. The investigation is ongoing, and the suspect's truck has been seized as evidence.

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If you see something, say something. Call it out, and this is a case, I think, of a win-win-win.