Water theft: fire hydrants.

Senator Allen's legislation expands California's water theft prevention framework by establishing new civil and administrative remedies specifically targeting unauthorized fire hydrant access. The bill authorizes utilities to pursue civil actions against individuals who tamper with fire hydrants or related equipment, or who divert water from hydrants without authorization. It creates a rebuttable presumption of violation when unauthorized hydrant access is detected.

Local agencies that provide retail water service may now adopt ordinances prohibiting unauthorized fire hydrant connections, with fines up to $2,500 for first violations, $5,000 for second violations, and $10,000 for third and subsequent violations. The bill also modifies existing water theft penalties by removing the one-year limitation period for enhanced fines on repeat violations. Local agencies must establish administrative procedures for imposing and reviewing these penalties, while being prohibited from levying multiple fines for the same offense under different ordinances.

The legislation responds to concerns about commercial actors illegally accessing fire hydrants for profit, which the bill's findings indicate can compromise water system safety through potential contamination and infrastructure damage. Local agencies must include processes for hardship waivers when implementing the new fine structure. The provisions supplement, rather than replace, existing remedies available under state law for addressing water theft.