Copper thieves rip plumbing from vacant homes

Landlords in Regina have noticed a troubling new trend: vacant houses targeted by thieves who tear out and sell copper plumbing.

"We were really shocked when it first happened," Jason Hall, a property owner and spokesman for an association of landlords in Regina, told CBC News.

Hall says the amount of damage done to get at the copper pipes is extensive and some landlords are forced to make expensive repairs.

Some are starting to choose plastic over copper when doing renovations.

"We've just eliminated the copper," Hall said, "We've kind of made it mandatory that when we're renovating a house, one of the first things we do is remove the copper and put plastic in."

According to research by CBC News, scrap copper can fetch up to $5 per kilogram.

It is a price that has thieves looking for sources in dangerous places.

The province's electric utility SaskPower was recently a victim of theft of copper wire stored a switching station south of Moose Jaw.

An estimated $10,000 worth of wire was taken.

RCMP said it was the sixth incident of stolen copper they have investigated this year.

Scrap metal dealers help police by keeping records of who is delivering copper.

But even the metal dealers can be targets.

"Our one-ton truck was stolen and they loaded it up," said Allan Kissner, owner of CMS Metal Products Ltd. in Regina.

He said the thieves went to the trouble of altering the copper, a move that was revealed when the stolen goods were recovered.

"When the merchandise came back, it wasn't the same as when they took it," Kissner explained. "They cut it up and make it into pieces. That's how they cover it."