RIO GRANDE CITY – A Starr County city passed a new ordinance to crack down on water thieves.

Mayor Joel Villarreal said the city commission voted Wednesday to make tampering with water meters a criminal offense. He said it will now be considered a criminal act of theft of service.

Rio Grande City Code Enforcement officers showed CHANNEL 5 NEWS how some people tampered with water meters to cheat the system two years ago.

Back in April of 2015, we rode along with a code enforcement crew. We learned people used magnets in an effort to mess with meters.

Crews would find tampered meters about every month.

Villarreal said Wednesday it’s still a problem. He said the ordinance is an effort to help keep rates reasonable for their customers.

The mayor said meter tampering, aside from going on your record, could also result in a $500 fine.