Stealing Water

In a recent conversation, the concept of Stealing Water came up. In mobile and manufactured homes, the water lines and water meters are exposed. This means that anybody can have access to them. If a person has a smart head on their shoulders, or some past experience in plumbing, they can have water for free.

The System

This is a typical water system for a mobile home. Note that there are several feet of exposed pipe and several fixtures that are above ground. These can be removed or circumvented so that water can be easily stolen.

Pipes that are exposed above ground can be manipulated, removed, or cut by anyone with half a brain.

Ways To Steal Water

Just by looking at the above graphic, a person can see that there are several areas that are vulnerable. Here is a simple list of ways to exploit those vulnerabilities:

1. Unscrew the meter and remove it. A straight pipe must then be installed.
2. Cut the water lines on both sides of the meter and remove it. A straight pipe must then be installed.

Prevention Of Water Theft

If the water thief is smart, they will prevent the stolen water from going near the meter.

In the section above, it is shown that the best way to steal water is to simply remove the meter. If there is no device that shows water usage, the resident cannot be charged for it. Smart residents will pay attention to the days and times when the meters are read and schedule putting the meter back on to prevent discovery.

There are other ways to steal water that avoid discovery. There is no full proof way to hide water theft, but there are steps you can take to mask what you are doing.

Back to the prevention of water theft. It must be noted that, short of eviction, there is no real way to stop this theft. If a person is determined enough, they can easily exploit the vulnerabilities in this system.

Types Of Prevention And Workarounds

1. Solution: Cut the water line and plug it with a crimped plug.

Workaround: Simply cut the line and add a straight pipe.

2. Solution: Remove the shut off valve handles, preventing the ability to turn the water back on.

Workaround: Go to the hardware store and buy as many shut off valve handles as you might need. They cost around .49¢.

3. Solution: Put a locking box around any shut off valves and meter.

Workaround: An angle grinder will take care of that box and the meter in less than a minute. If you are too cheap to buy an angle grinder, a hacksaw and some elbow grease should suffice.

Absurd Lengths To Prevent Water Theft

As I mentioned above, this was a discussion. As each method of shutting off water was discussed and found to be lacking, the discussion ventured into absurd ways to turn off water. IT'S THE PRINCIPLE was a common line of thought when diving deeper into the conversation.

1. Bury several (5 was mentioned) shut off valves on the stand pipe underground. Turn each off, remove the handle, and bury the whole stand pipe under 5 feet of dirt. This solution is actually a good one. While it will not prevent a determined water thief, it will make them work very hard before they get their reward.

2. Rip the whole water service out. This solution will work...but at what cost? Once you have evicted the water thief, you have to put the service back in.

3. Install a "curbstop" and turn the service off with a key. This is the worst method. A recent search on Amazon revealed that curbstop keys only cost $15.00. Any water thief who wants to steal water will either already have a key, or will just buy one.

See Also

• SharkBite
• Analog Water Meter
• Repairing A Water Service
• Installing A Shut Off Valve On A Water Main
• Heat Tape
• PVC Slide Repair Coupling

Stealing Water is a part of a series on Manly Shit

SharkBite | Plugging A Tire | Do It Yourself! | Frost Heave | Terramite T5C | Shit, Shower, Shave | A Stick | Analog Water Meter | Testing A Drinking Water System | Husqyvarny | Putting A Tire On A Rim | Repairing A Water Service | A Pocketknife | Valve Snake | Bobcat and Bush Hog | Andre | Mr. Mitchell | DIY - Coffin | ZERK | Installing A Shut Off Valve On A Water Main | Stupid Baby Bunny | Putting In A Curb Stop | What To Do With An Old Mobile Home | Shed Happens | Skid Donuts | The Greatest NFL Team Of All Time | So, Your Hydraulic Pump Died On Your Dump Bed? | Sully | Penis Bone | Jump Start Your Truck With A Cordless Battery | Audrey Elizabeth Hale | Notre Dame | 710 | Green Leaf Volatiles | Perfect | Cyrus Nock | HVAC | Labor Day Weekend | Alone | Cedar | One Tough House | Heat Tape | John Cena | Mother's Day | Sweeping T | PVC Slide Repair Coupling | Stealing Water | Mini Excavator