Vandals in Northglenn, Colorado, recently damaged flow-control gates, diverting water away from the city for two days. City employees reported a water theft after seeing a sudden and significant drop in water.
The damage to the gates will cost $50,000 to repair, but the water loss amounts to much more, according to Northglenn city spokesperson Diana Wilson. “Hundreds of thousands of dollars if not a million, so to us very precious,” Wilson told CBS Colorado.
The sheriff’s department is investigating this crime, along with a similar crime from 2019, and exploring eco-terrorism as a possible motive.
Man Threatens Water Employees With Pitchfork in Oregon
A man is facing felony criminal charges after threatening two Portland (Oregon) Water Bureau employees with a pitchfork and then burglarizing an office building. Police responded to a report of a man breaking windows and threatening people with a pitchfork, and when they arrived, they surrounded the building and searched it with a K9 unit. The suspect was located and arrested.
Officers documented the damage caused in the building, including broken windows, ransacked offices and a broken ceiling. A pitchfork was discovered in the ceiling and seized as evidence. Two Water Bureau vehicles also had their windshields broken.
‘Leading Idaho’ Plan to Help 63 Communities With Water/Wastewater Projects
The State of Idaho recently approved plans to roll out $300 million in water and wastewater infrastructure project funding benefiting 63 communities across Idaho — a step that could help local governments keep property taxes low as they formulate their budgets this summer and fall.
“Water is our most valuable resource, and we absolutely must keep up the infrastructure ensure water is clean and plentiful for this generation and future ones. That is why we made historic investments in water quality and quality this year as part of my ‘Leading Idaho’ plan,” says Idaho Gov. Brad Little.
The 63 communities identified will receive more than $285 million in funds for water infrastructure projects. The DEQ also provided almost $6 million for engineering planning studies for 136 water projects.
