Fire hydrant lids are disappearing in Western Bay of Plenty, thieves blamed

Fire hydrants throughout the Western Bay of Plenty are having their lids mysteriously removed

The mysterious disappearance of fire hydrant lids in the Western Bay of Plenty has local authorities scratching their heads.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council network team leader Peter Edwards said the council was aware of three separate incidents involving six lids being taken from fire hydrants and valve boxes. Two of these incidents were in Te Puke and the other in Paengaroa.

“This is a relatively new situation, with the public reporting the missing lids in the last week,” Edwards said.

“While it costs time and money to replace the lids, our main concern is someone might injure themselves by stepping into the hole where the lid was.”

Edwards wanted people to let the council know if they noticed a missing lid “or if you see someone stealing one please get in touch with police”.

“We’re not entirely sure why these lids have all of a sudden become hot property but suspect selling the metal to scrap metal dealers may be a motive,” Edwards said.

The cost to replace missing lids ranges from $90 to $500 depending on the damage. The lid itself cost $90 and the entire box cost $500.

If the internal hydrant or valve had been damaged, then the cost per site would vary but was estimated to cost about $1000 each.

On the council’s Facebook page, readers shared their views on the issue, with one commenting, “God, nothing’s sacred any more”.

Another posted: “Also it’s a safety hazard if they are taken ... can fall into a hole”, while someone else posted: “What the heck? I mean, why, just why? Some people really need to get a life”.

People could contact the council via its Facebook page or website for more information or to report any sightings. People could also contact police on 105.