Thieves made off with a spool of copper wire from the Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care construction site on Al Tahoe Boulevard.

Last week work was going forward to connect the sewer line to South Tahoe Public Utility District’s connection at Pioneer Village nearly 900 feet away.

“The new way to locate water, electrical, sewer lines, etc. is to bury a copper wire just above the line – which makes it easier to locate in the future, should that need occur,” Tom Millham, co-founder of LTWC, said in a statement. “After the initial 200 feet had been placed with the copper line, the remainder of the coil was left above ground for work the next day, as the contractor does about 200 feet per day. That night, someone cut the line and took the remainder of the spool.” 

The value of the wire at a scrap yard is much less than what it will cost the nonprofit to replace it.

To complete the framing, security fence and asphalt work, donations are still being sought. For more info about LTWC, go online.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report