Tsim Sha Tsui Water Meter Theft Cuts Off Shops
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A suspected theft of water meters and pipes at Ka Wai Building on Granville Road in Tsim Sha Tsui disrupted water supply to commercial tenants on the lower floors, while residential units from the fourth floor upward were unaffected. The incident was discovered on the morning of August 13, prompting a police report and leaving businesses including a hair salon, beauty parlour and optical shop struggling to operate. One salon operator said services such as hair colouring and perming could not be provided without water, estimating daily lost business at about HK$15,000. By the morning of August 18, the building's owners' corporation had arranged technicians to reconnect pipes, but tenants still had to bear repair costs.
Key Points
- Management at Ka Wai Building found water meters and pipes missing from the rear alley on August 13, cutting water to shops on floors one to three.
- Tenants in the affected section included an optical shop, beauty parlour, shisha lounge, photo studio and hair salon, with the salon reporting the most severe disruption.
- Salon owner Decky said only basic haircuts could continue, while customers were asked to wash their hair beforehand because washing, colouring and perming were impossible.
- Decky estimated revenue fell by HK$15,000 a day, adding that three to four days of disruption had already wiped out more than HK$40,000 in business.
- Police said a woman reported the case on August 13, involving three two-metre copper pipes worth about HK$1,200, and no arrests had been made.
Why It Matters
The case shows how the theft of low-value building fixtures can cause outsized losses for small businesses that depend on basic utilities to keep trading. It also raises questions about whether exposed service pipes in back alleys leave older mixed-use buildings vulnerable to repeat theft and extra repair bills for tenants.