Posted on Sat, Nov. 14, 2009

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Metal thieves are now targeting sprinklers

BY TIM POTTER

The Wichita Eagle

On a recent Sunday, members of a south Wichita congregation found their church lawn flooded with what looked like thousands of gallons of water.

Someone — apparently a thief pilfering metal to sell for scrap — had stolen a key brass valve from the church sprinkler system.

"It's pretty brazen ... right out in the open," said Andy Veatch, owner of Lawn Sprinkler Services, who took the emergency call and came out to replace the valve. He saw tire tracks leading to where the valve had been.

Police have seen a spike in thefts of lawn sprinkler backflow valves, particularly at businesses in the city's northeast quadrant, said police Lt. Mike Hennessy, who oversees theft investigations. About a dozen thefts have been reported over the past six weeks, he said.

The thefts have slowed, but businesses and residents still should watch their sprinkler systems, Hennessy said.

Police suspect that the thieves try to blend in by appearing to be maintenance workers.

If residents or merchants see someone who could be stealing sprinkler equipment, Hennessy said, they should get a tag number if they safely can —"don't approach" the person — and call 911.

Backflow valves keep potentially contaminated sprinkler water from flowing back into the city water system. Lawn fertilizer, chemicals and other contaminants can enter through sprinkler equipment.

The brass valves weigh from around 8 pounds to 20 pounds or more.

When a thief takes a smaller, residential valve, the replacement part and labor can be $150 to $250, said Veatch, the sprinkler business owner. When a larger, commercial valve is stolen, it can cost up to $800, he said.

The valves are easy to spot because they sit above the ground and generally have white pipe running to them, said Zack Steven, executive vice president of Reddi Industries Inc., whose Wichita business also services lawn systems.

"They're easy to steal," using pipe cutters or a saw, he said.

Hennessy said some of the recent thefts appear to have been done with a sledge hammer.

One way to prevent the thefts is to put a steel cage over each valve, but the cages can be costly because they must be mounted to a concrete pad to be secure, Veatch said.

Reach Tim Potter at 316-268-6684 or tpotter@wichitaeagle.com.

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