Rounding out an eventful first three weeks of the new Birmingham Water Works board, general manager Mac Underwood released a statement saying that the utility has fallen victim to a substantial theft of copper from its warehouse.
Underwood said in a statement released to multiple outlets, "The executive team of the Birmingham Water Works (BWW) investigated allegations of theft within the system's warehouse. We reported the issue to law enforcement and will continue to work with authorities as the investigation moves forward."
WBRC reported, "The value of the copper could be close to $2 million, though the investigation is ongoing and Birmingham Police will only confirm they have launched a criminal investigation."
The investigation comes just as the new board begins its third week of business. Earlier this week, the board voted to cancel a series of employment contracts and contract revisions that were passed the night before Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill to change the board's makeup. The new board also agreed to request that the State Board of Public Examiners conduct an audit of the previous board's final actions.
In their first meeting, the board voted 5-2 to invalidate the sale of the utility to the City of Birmingham, an action taken after the bill reconstituting the board had already been signed into law.
The full statement provided by Underwood read:
Our management team is committed to honesty, integrity and accountability, and these are values we expect our employees, consultants and contractors to uphold. Those who violate these principles and the trust of our customers will be held accountable.
The initial internal investigation identified team members who colluded as a group to bypass existing internal supply verification and documentation processes for financial benefit. These actions were unauthorized, ignored established protocols and resulted in the theft of the BWW’s property.
The BWW’s executive team will recommend that the Board authorize an independent review of warehouse operations to improve security and keep incidents like this from happening in the future.
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