Amid Severe Drought, Thieves Steal Water in California to Supply Illegal Marijuana Farms

Last spring, water pressure in pipes in the Antelope Valley unexpectedly dropped, setting off alarms. Demand had suddenly risen to three and a half times typical levels. As a result, water mains burst, causing storage tanks to be drained to dangerously low levels.

The situation in Hi Vista, a desert town between Los Angeles and Mojave, was so bad that county health officials contemplated requiring residents to boil their tap water before drinking it.

"We were like, 'Holy cow, what is going on?'" said Anish Saraiya, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger's public works deputy.

Illegal marijuana plantations are the most prevalent source of water theft. While farmers, ranchers, and licensed marijuana growers try to get water through the legal system, illegal enterprises steal it or buy it from illicit vehicles.

According to official estimates, as many as 4,000 illicit grow sites operate in Nevada County in the Sierra Nevada. According to county data, illegal growth in the Antelope Valley has increased from 200 last year to 400 now, while other estimates put the number in the thousands.

While the vast desert provides some seclusion for marijuana operations, it lacks a crucial component of plant growth: water. A cannabis grower near Lancaster purchased a home solely to run a garden hose across the desert to his illicit grow location. Officials turned off the connection, but the ingenious thieves connected into another subterranean line and continued to water their plants.

Marijuana isn't a very thirsty crop, needing roughly the same amount of water as a tomato plant. Still, given the severity of the drought, even a tiny water diversion can significantly impact.

For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!