Scottish Water warns that fire hydrant vandalism is putting lives at risk
The public are being warned that tampering with and vandalising fire hydrants can put lives at risk and cause widespread disruption.
The caution came from Scottish Water following a spate of incidents during the recent hot weather.
The utility is urging people not to set off fire hydrants and calling on anyone who sees an incident to report it to Police Scotland.
Resulting problems can include disruption of water supply to customers, reduced water pressure or discoloured water, and localised flooding in streets.
Water supplies for firefighters can also be impacted, hampering their ability to tackle fires, with an obvious increased risk to lives and property damage.
The frequency of fire hydrant vandalism incidents can increase during warm, dry weather and the school summer holidays and in previous years there has been a number of incidents which have wasted the valuable time of Scottish Water workers and firefighters and distracted them from other priorities.
Kevin Roy, Scottish Water’s general manager of customer service, said: “Some people who vandalise fire hydrants may see their actions as ‘harmless fun’ but that’s absolutely not the case.
"The reality is that homes and businesses can experience low water pressure or a loss of supply.
“Also, firefighters rely on these hydrants for fighting fires and a shortage of water could endanger people’s lives and property.”
He added: “Fire hydrant vandalism is completely reckless and selfish and communities need to help us put a stop to this behaviour before the unthinkable occurs.
"We’re urging people to help us tackle the problem by reporting any incidents to the police immediately.”
Hydrants can be accessed legally only by Scottish Water, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and anyone with permission from Scottish Water. Vandalising or setting one off could lead to a fine of up to £5000.
Anyone who witnesses fire hydrant vandalism can contact Police Scotland by phoning 101, Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.fearless.org, part of Crimestoppers.