POT HOUSES FRUSTRATE CAMBRIDGE HYDRO

The general manager of Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro Inc. says
there is no "sophisticated" system in place to catch individuals who
are stealing hydro-electricity - referred to as a hydro bypass - to
fuel dangerous pot houses.

John Grotheer said home-grow operations continue to be a frustrating
problem for the utilities company, especially since it costs as much
as $200,000 a year in stolen hydro revenue.

"It's a major issue for us," Grotheer said of bypassing hydro and the
issue of safety for workers trying to cut power to a house found
stealing electricity.

"It's a serious problem and the community really has to go after these
people."

Grotheer said police estimate there are about 100 pot houses currently
operating in Cambridge.

What happens is a pot garden is created in a typical house, complete
with pot-growing equipment like oversized lamp shades, 1,000-watt
light bulbs to simulate sunlight and numerous fans to cool the
operations down since they generate a lot of heat. Feeding marijuana
plants requires lots of electricity. To do that, the person or people
involved will tap into an existing hydro meter using wires improperly
connected and held together by spray foam insulation, all in an
attempt to avoid being detected for unusual hydro usage.

This creates a dangerous fire hazard, posing a threat to neighbours,
police, firefighters and hydro personnel.

That's why the utilities company relies heavily on neighbours to tip
hydro off about abnormal occurrences in a house, like blackened or
covered windows, condensation on the windows from the high humidity
needed to grow pot plants indoors or a strange, skunky odour.

Grotheer said the company will head to the area to take a hydro count
at the transfer station. This station provides electricity to eight to
10 houses. A meter is placed at the station.

In as early as one day, Grotheer said they receive the information
showing a theft of hydro and take it to Waterloo Regional Police.

Grotheer said "there is always the risk" the homeowners could see
hydro conducting some sort of test.

"But people don't usually live in the house."

Once the process with police has been initiated, hydro will, at the
appropriate time, visit the house in question to shut off the power.
Required by provincial law, an electrical safety inspection to
determine the condition of any house is conducted by the Electrical
Safety Authority. It falls under the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
The same scenario applies to conducting safety inspections on
suspected pot houses.

Grotheer said the house is never entered until police secure it. For
example, as a result of the crude wiring to bypass hydro, the ground
around the meter can become electrified.

To determine how much money has been lost due to stolen hydro,
Grotheer said the utilities company assesses how long the bypass has
been occurring based on the types and number of lights used in the
house and the equipment used for example.

An attempt is made to bill the owner of the house for the money to be
paid back. Sometimes the bill is paid, Grotheer said.

Even if it's $100 at a time, he said the person or people involved
want to make restitution to help their court case.

If the bill isn't paid, the case can go before a judge who can order
restitution, Grotheer said.