Consumers stealing water from the Waitaki District Council could find themselves in court facing criminal charges.
The council has had a problem over at least the past year with water thieves altering restricters or water meters, taking more water than they are entitled to.
This has placed pressure on some rural water schemes, with new connections turned down because water is not available, and imposed a cost on other consumers.
A 25-year-old Oamaru man has been charged by police for allegedly tampering with his water meter.
The man, who takes his water from the Oamaru town supply, has been summoned to appear in the Oamaru District Court on February 17 charged with knowingly obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception (fraud) between April 2008 and Christmas Eve last year by tampering with his meter.
If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail.
Sergeant Wayne Brew said police investigated after a complaint by the council.
Council water manager Martin Pacey said the council had been investigating interference with water supplies when called in by water committees, usually handling offences under its water bylaw.
However, the council was proposing to take a tougher line on offenders by handing some offences over to police to be dealt with as a criminal matter.
That could involve offenders facing theft or fraud charges and, if convicted, ending up with a criminal record.
"It's the first time we have gone down that track.
"In this particular case, the circumstances made us go down this track," he said.
"But it is something we are looking at doing more in the future to get the message across this is theft or fraud, affecting other consumers."
