California’s drought sees new water wars.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Calleguas Municipal Water District in California has filed suit against Tom Selleck and his wife, Jillie Mack, on Monday, accusing the actor of using a public hydrant to fill a commercial water truck on 12 different occasions amidst the state’s historic drought crisis, according to Courthouse News Service.
Court documents allege that the Magnum P.I. star continued filling his tanker even after cease-and-desist notices were sent to two of his Southern California homes. As recently as March of this year, Selleck’s illegal water truck was spotted filling up at the same hydrant and delivering water to Selleck’s estate on four separate days, according to the lawsuit.
In addition to legal fees and investigative costs, the water district is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction barring Selleck and his contractors or employees from taking water from the Calleguas district.
To document the alleged water theft, the district spent nearly $22,000 to hire a private investigator, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Selleck and his wife have lived on the same 60-acre ranch in Westlake Village — complete with horses, dogs, and an avocado ranch — for nearly three decades. The complaint comes as Californian residents are being tasked with slashing water use by 25 percent.
The Golden State’s unprecedented drought is now in its fourth year. In January 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, and earlier this summer, he introduced strict conservation measures, including a rule limiting lawn watering to two days a week. According to the State Water Board, outdoor irrigation makes up nearly half of water consumption in California’s residential communities, reported Time.