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.
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:
- Unscrew the meter and remove it. A straight pipe must then be installed.
- Cut the water lines on both sides of the meter and remove it. A straight pipe must then be installed.
Prevention Of Water Theft
In the section above, it is show 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¢.