Walnut Acts to Prevent Theft of Metal Irrigation Devices

Plagued with the thefts of copper wiring and brass irrigation devices used to water parks and greenbelt areas, the city of Walnut plans to install enclosures to keep bandits at bay.  

The city will spend $62,900 to install the enclosures.  

The Walnut City Council Wednesday night voted 5-0 to appropriate the money from the general fund for the enclosures and award a bid for their installation to NBI.  

Mayor Tom King asked staff to bring back to council a recommendation for a reward for anyone caught stealing a backflow device.  

Recently, a device was stolen at a shopping center at Pierre Road and Valley Boulevard which caused $32,000 in damage and knocked out water for the businesses there all day, King said.  

“These guys are real blatant,” he said. “They come in from other towns. And my personal belief is that they pawn the brass in San Bernardino County. There’s other counties that have not got the strictest enforcement of scrap metal.”  

King said the thieves will often pull the devices out in seconds using a pick up truck and then just throw them in the back and take off.  

Walnut has spent more than $100,000 to replace stolen copper wire and brass irrigation devices, according to a staff report to council.  

“In 2010, we greatly reduced copper wire theft in our lighting systems with the addition of concrete vaults, so far eliminating the problem in all but one of our parks,” Deputy Director of Community Services Hector Kistemann wrote in the staff report.  

Backflow devices are required by law for landscape irrigation systems that use domestic or potable water. Irrigation systems that use recycled water are not required to have the plumbing devices, according to staff. In Walnut, there are 123 of these devices.  

This fiscal year, 31 backflow devices were stolen in Lighting Open Space Maintenance District areas and parks. None of them were enclosed, according to staff.  

Replacing each of the remaining 74 brass backflow devices, assuming they get stolen, would total $113,220, $50,320 more than the cost of the enclosures.  

Mayor Pro Tem Antonio “Tony” Cartagena recommended the city look into putting more lighting near the devices as well to help deter thefts. 

Councilman Eric Ching called on residents to call the sheriff’s department about any suspicious street activity. 

“When you see something funny out there, please report it to our sheriff’s department,” he said.  “Work with the city and sheriff’s department more to make our city very safe.”