Water meter stolen!

[NOKYAI]

We had our water meter stolen from Mon Mai area last night! Mrs N said she heard dogs barking but didn’t investigate. When she called the water company today she was told that 300 had been stolen in our area recently!!
Anyone else having problems?
I’m glad we have the underground tank to keep us going until I get back to sort it out.

[STEVE G]

Yes, apparently four went from near our house about a week ago and we're not far from Mon Mai. I phoned my partner the other day and I could hear some construction noises in the background, when I asked what it was, she said that the water meter was being caged in!

[Geko]

Just out of interest, normally the meters here have an isolation valve downstream of the meter, local to the property to shutoff water to the individual house, this I assume is to stop the meter being easily bypassed. When the meters are removed do the people doing it isolate the supplies upstream somehow or just leave mains water running???

[caller]

Anyone know why they are being stolen? It sounds like something from Monty Python's!

[STEVE G]

Anyone know why they are being stolen? It sounds like something from Monty Python's!

I think they get stolen for the scrap metal value of the brass bodies. They're not that big which, I suppose is why you would want 300 of them!

[PeteC]

In many areas of the country to prevent theft you'll find the old metal/brass type have been replaced with plastic. They're strong and we've had them in use for 10 years now. I wouldn't be surprised if you see the water authority there start installing them.

The short piping attached to the meter, which comes with it as a set, has a shut off valve on both the city supply side, and on the house side. Simple half turn type, horizontal on/vertical off.

[centermid7]

I lived in a moobaan north of BKK for a time where one evening the thieves came through and snagged a bunch of them. Those that lost their meters just hose clamped a foot long piece of garden hose across the gap and went on about their daily business saying nothing to the water authorities. I was not till the meter reader came to call that the water dept. knew anything about it and then the meters were replaced right sharpish.

[Scout]

Just out of interest, normally the meters here have an isolation valve downstream of the meter, local to the property to shutoff water to the individual house, this I assume is to stop the meter being easily bypassed. When the meters are removed do the people doing it isolate the supplies upstream somehow or just leave mains water running???

Every meter I’ve ever seen has the valve on the supply side. When water bills go unpaid, the water dept comes, closes the valve, removes the meter and tags the valve to indicate the meter was removed and water shut off for nonpayment.