PHILIPSBURG--Several water meters of utilities company NV GEBE were ripped out at several locations along A.Th. Illidge Road in what appeared to have been a malicious vandalism effort in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
A concerned and affected resident who lives at a two-storey apartment complex on A.Th. Illidge Road near the GEBE facility in the area, said two meters, one of which was hers, were ripped out at her building. She told The Daily Herald that her neighbour woke up around 3:00am to no water and when she went to check she noticed the ripped-out meters and water gushing out of two exposed pipes. Initial efforts to reach GEBE at that time proved futile. The police were called for assistance, but the police were also unable to reach GEBE. However, the company did eventually show up after 8:00am and fixed the meters.
The resident later learnt that at least three meters along the road had been ripped out in a similar fashion – theirs plus one near the former Pitusa Hotel, one near a laundry on A.Th. Illidge Road and one near a hardware store.
The Daily Herald reached out to GEBE on Tuesday for some comments on the apparent vandalism, but did not receive any response to its queries.
This newspaper asked how GEBE planned to address this seemingly malicious vandalism of its property; whether the company had any idea who is responsible; whether it would be investigated; how widespread vandalism of GEBE's property is and what effects vandalism has on the company.
