Backflow Device Stolen from Hillside Elementary

As Hillside Elementary School officials went to turn on the sprinklers Friday morning, they noticed no water was coming out.

Shortly after, they discovered that the backflow device that sits infront of the school had been stolen.

"Based on the dead grass, it's been gone for at least week," said Prachi Amin, Hillside Elementary's Project Manager.

School officials believe the weighty copper device was stolen to possibly be sold off as scrap metal.

Based on the clean cut of the the backflow from the connecting pipes and fact that the theives also shut down the water, Amin concluded that "they knew what they were doing."

She also said it will be difficult to detect the culprits because more than likely, they will cut up the metal in chunks before selling it off.

Though this is a first for the school, it will cost them a few hundred dollars to fix and replace. 

"It's probably an indicator of the economy," said Principal Pam VandeKamp. "People are getting desperate."