Over Two Dozen Water Metres Stolen for Copper; Here’s What BWS Wants You to Do

Eleven household water metres were stolen in Corozal in a single day, as thieves target BWS equipment across the Belize and Corozal Districts, the company says.

BWS says more than two dozen metres have been stolen in recent weeks. Operations Manager Roberto Toriz said the company has an estimated 18 stolen in the Belize District and 11 in Corozal. “Right now we have estimated a total of eighteen metres have been stolen in Corozal; just from yesterday, eleven metres have been stolen.”

Toriz said the thieves strip the metres and valves for copper and sell the metal for scrap. He said BWS has seen this before. “Back in December we had the same issue where we were getting our meters stolen. It stopped, but it seems that it is starting again.”

Each metre costs BWS around $300, and thieves sell them for copper scrap at a fraction of that.

Assistant Customer Services Manager Paul Wade said the biggest cost falls on customers, who can lose water for a long time, especially when a metre is taken late at night or early in the morning. “When the metres are stolen, it does affect the customer, as they are out of water for a substantial amount of time, especially if it happens late at night or early in the morning.”

Wade said BWS runs around the clock, but that repairs still take resources. “While we are a twenty-four-hour company, it does take us resources to get out there and try to make those repairs.”

He said customers should be alert and watch for suspicious people near their metres. BWS returns stolen meters to customers for free, but the company says repeated incidents at the same property may mean the cost is passed to the customer.