TasWater is investigating a series of thefts from its water and sewerage sites across Greater Hobart and the Derwent Valley, warning that the removal of critical infrastructure is creating significant safety hazards and exposing essential assets to potential damage.
Over the past week, thieves entered TasWater sites and stole aluminium pit lids, reservoir hatches, reservoir ladders and safety railings from a number of sites in the Greater Hobart region.
TasWater General Manager Operations, Brendan Windmeyer said the organisation takes the security of its assets seriously and has reported the incidents to Tasmania Police.
“Stealing infrastructure from critical public assets is unacceptable and creates significant safety risks for our people and the wider community,” Mr Windmeyer said.
“The items targeted in these incidents are not decorative or surplus assets. They play an important role in protecting critical water and wastewater infrastructure, maintaining safe access for workers and preventing unauthorised entry to our sites.
“While we can only speculate on the motivation behind these thefts, some of the items may have been targeted for their scrap metal value. The greatest impact is not the value of the materials, it is the resources required to replace the stolen infrastructure.
“While these thefts have not affected water quality, they are forcing our crews to spend valuable time repairing and replacing these assets, diverting resources away from planned maintenance and improvement works that help ensure the safe and reliable services our customers rely on every day.
“We encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious activity around TasWater sites or who may have information about these thefts to contact Tasmania Police,” Mr Windmeyer said.
TasWater is asking anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity over the last few weeks to contact Tasmania Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
