Actor Tom Selleck is accused by a California agency of unlawfully taking water from a public hydrant to supply his ranch as the state grapples with a devastating drought, court papers showed on Wednesday.
Advertisement
In the complaint, the Calleguas MWD accuses the couple of repeatedly stealing truckloads of water from public hydrants, and having the large quantities of water hauled via commercial truck back to their lovely Hidden Valley ranch, which is located in a different water district.
California communities have been ordered to cut water use compared with 2013 levels due to the relentless, four-year drought.
Selleck’s publicist did not respond to a request for comment regarding his alleged water heists.
Actor Tom Selleck has become embroiled in a dispute with California authorities over the water usage at his home. About 20 minutes later, the truck was seen delivering the water to Selleck’s Hidden Valley property, according to the complaint from Calleguas.
Selleck’s 60-acre, Spanish colonial-style ranch property includes eight bedrooms, stables, a helipad, swimming pool, golf course, and avocado farm.
Eric Bergh, manager of resources for Calleguas, said it has “a longstanding policy of no delivery or use of district water outside of district boundaries”. Whoever was stealing the water was conniving enough to take it from another municipality one city over, Thousand Oaks.
Water supply was an issue in the upscale area during the last major drought in 1991. But there are claims that a tanker truck filled up at a hydrant more than a dozen times. Again the said truck made the same activity four times in March 2015.
The suit was originally reported Tuesday by Courthouse News Service. There are fines of up to US$500 a day for residential users who waste water and US$10,000 a day for water suppliers.
Advertisement
He’s seen the truck at least “a dozen times” over the past year and a half, he said. Selleck owns a number of properties in other areas as well including Fallbrook, Freedom and Prescott, Arizona and is known for his love for growing avocados.
