EDITORIAL - The dire consequences of water theft

Following an earlier report that 13 of Mandaue City’s 35 fire hydrants are now defective or non-operational, another report has determined that illegal water extraction, or water theft, contributed to the situation.

According to a report in this newspaper, Metro Cebu Water District Acting Water Distribution Division Manager Engr. Cesar Boroy said to prevent water theft, some fire hydrants have had to be shut off, which may have contributed to concerns about their functionality.

Boroy said MCWD will shoulder the cost of the repairs or replacements of these fire hydrants, but they still need to allocate a budget for this.

We understand that some people are in dire need of water; the water pressure isn’t always strong in all areas in Metro Cebu, and in other areas water isn’t available all day. Given this, a fire hydrant becomes a very convenient source to draw water from.

But to resort to water theft by drawing water illegally from fire hydrants will have dire consequences, and we aren’t just talking about the lawsuits water thieves can face as a result of their actions.

The worst-case scenario is that when we need water the most, it won’t be available because the fire hydrants aren’t functional. We are talking about fires, of course.

When responding to a fire, firefighters seldom bring their own water with them; they tap into the nearby hydrants. Sure, they have tanker trucks that can bring water to the scene, but tankers can only bring a limited amount of water while the hydrants can provide more.

The worst-case scenario is that when we need fire hydrants to function as intended they will be nothing more than pieces of metal fixed to the ground.

And we have reason to be worried. Fires have now become common even outside Fire Prevention Month, thanks to the warming climate and the continuing growth of urban communities where houses or even entire neighborhoods are just too close to each other for comfort.

We pray that we don’t learn this lesson the hard way.