Plea issued to stop vandalizing fire hydrants in small B.C. community as water goes to waste

The Cowichan Valley Regional District has issued a plea for information after a fire hydrant was vandalized yet again, resulting in the loss of 300,000 litres of drinking water.

The district says five hydrants in the community of Saltair have been vandalized in the last 16 months, putting residents at risk in the community of about 2,300 people on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

"It's a little bit ridiculous at this point," said Jesse McClinton, the regional district representative for the community. "Not only is it a big waste, but it severely impacts our reservoir."

Water for Saltair primarily comes from the nearby Stocking Lake. However, before it is available through the city's utility system, it has to be piped in and treated and then fed into the community reservoir. If the reservoir is depleted faster than it can be filled, it means water is unavailable to residents and emergency crews.

McLinton said although that has not yet happened, it's a risk he takes seriously and hopes to avoid having it happen in a future instance of vandalism.

"This is a pretty silly thing to be targeting and jeopardizing a lot of people," he said, adding the flowing water has also caused damage to some private properties.

In a statement, the regional district says it has filed a police report and is looking for any information about who is responsible. It also says the community is equipped with technology that alerts crews if excessive water is flowing, which allows them to respond quickly to a problem.

In the meantime, McClinton says he's hopeful that the person or people behind the vandalism have simply been unaware of the risks and will stop once they hear more about the impact.

"Hopefully the person and people who are doing this hear this and understand the severity of it," he said.