Thieves Target Water Meters in Belize and Corozal Districts

Thieves are turning household water meters into quick cash, while customers are being left without service. Belize Water Services says more than two dozen meters have been stolen across the Belize and Corozal Districts in recent weeks, costing the company thousands of dollars. Operations Manager Roberto Torres says thieves are stripping the meters and valves for copper, then selling the metal for scrap. But Assistant Customer Services Manager Paul Wade warns that customers ultimately pay the price through damaged property and disrupted water service.

 

Roberto Toriz, Belize District Operations Manager, BWS

“We have been receiving a lot of reports lately of some of our customer meters that are being stolen here in Belize District and also in the Corozal District. 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. It started back in June of this month. It started here in Belize City from June to September. Right now we have estimated a total of eighteen meters have been stolen and in Corozal, just from yesterday, eleven meters have been stolen.”

 

Paul Wade, Assistant Customer Services Manager, BWS

“When the meters are stolen it does affect the customer where they are out of water for a substantial amount of time, especially if it happens late at night, early in the morning. While we are a twenty-four hour company, it does take us resources to get out there and try to make those repairs. So that is why we need to make sure that these persons or the customers are alerted of these persons so they can be vigilant because not having water because of somebody stealing your meter, that’s what we have come to.”

 

One meter costs BWS around three hundred dollars. Thieves sell them to for copper scraps at a fraction of the cost. While BWS returns meters to customers for free, multiple incidents may incur cost transferred to the customer.   

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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