P.I. pursues Magnum over water heist

Actor Tom Selleck is accused of using public water on his farm. Photo / Supplied

Tom Selleck, the star of Magnum P.I., was pursued for two years by a real-life private investigator over accusations he swiped truck loads of water from the drought-plagued state of California to use on his avocado farm.

It is not known whether the detective hired by a water authority drove a red Ferrari and sported an impressive moustache, or if he was accompanied during his work by a thumping theme tune.

But as he doggedly tracked the missing liquid, taken from a public hydrant, all roads led to Selleck's sprawling US$10 million ranch, which includes 8ha of avocados.

The 70-year-old actor is now being sued by the water authority. He has become the first celebrity in California taken to court and "drought shamed" for allegedly using too much water.

The state is in its fourth year of an unprecedented drought that has led to Governor Jerry Brown imposing mandatory state-wide cuts on users.

People have been urged to let their lawns die or replace them with artificial turf and cacti.

Those refusing to save water are increasingly being shamed by neighbours who post pictures of lush gardens on social media.

In a complaint filed at Ventura Superior Court the Calleguas Municipal Water District accused Selleck, 70, and his wife Jillie, 57, of persistently using water from the public hydrant near a construction site since 2013.

According to the complaint the Sellecks are not permitted to use the hydrant because their property is in a different water district, the Hidden Valley Municipal Water District.

On November 26, 2013 Calleguas sent cease-and-desist letters to the Selleck ranch, and an address associated with the actor on The Avenue of the Stars in Los Angeles.

Less than a month later the truck was filling up again.

The Calleguas water authority said it hired a private investigator, at a cost of US$22,000, to gather evidence of the alleged water theft. It claimed to have documented a white truck filling up at the hydrant, then heading to the Selleck ranch, more than a dozen times. In late spring, when avocados are harvested, the truck was said to have been spotted taking water on four consecutive days. The ranch includes an eight-bedroom house, stables, a tennis court, pool, heliport, and three hole golf course.

The Calleguas water authority is seeking an injunction to stop use of its water by Selleck, financial damages, legal fees and the cost of the private investigator.

A representative for Selleck did not respond to a request for comment. It is unclear if the actor was aware of where the water, which Calleguas says was going to his property, was coming from.