Water Company Offers Reward Following Fire Hydrant Vandalism

HURRICANE, W.Va. -- West Virginia American Water is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of fire hydrant vandals in Putnam County.

Officials say eleven hydrants were opened last Sunday in the Route 34 area of Hurricane, some along Turkey Creek Road and Kelley Creek Road.

They say 800,000 gallons were wasted in the act of vandalism, which cost the company about $11,000 in repairs. That cost is ultimately transferred to the customers.

"It's really a senseless act of vandalism," external affairs manager Laura Jordan said. "It's not only the cost that our customers have to pay, but also the roads and yards that were flooded."

Jordan says the cost of the crime could have far exceeded the current bill since fire departments depend on the hydrants to save lives.

"There could have been a real issue if fire trucks had arrived on the scene and not had the water pressure that they needed," she said.

Jordan says the vandalism happened sometime before 3 a.m. It took crews about three hours to get it all cleaned up.

About 100 customers were put out of water that morning.