Theft of high-priced tools not expected to harm Burbank reservoir project

The theft of roughly $60,000 in tools from the Burbank reservoir construction site will not delay the project, officials said Tuesday.

Run by an independent contractor, the reservoir renovation is still slated for completion early this year, said Burbank Water and Power spokesman Joe Flores.

“They have plenty of back-up resources to be able to get the job done,” Flores said. “They haven’t given us any indication they’re going to be slowed down in any way because of what happened.”

Sometime between 6 p.m. Thursday and 4:30 a.m. Friday, three storage containers on the site — located at 300 North Sunset Canyon Drive — were burglarized, said Burbank Police Sgt. Gerry Misquez.

An unidentified number of suspects reportedly cut through several chains and padlocks to access the “high-dollar tools” in the containers, Misquez said.

No suspects have been identified, but the investigation is ongoing.

The reservoir makeover is expected to cut ongoing maintenance and repair costs for the 80-year-old facility.

Anyone with information on the theft is encouraged to call Burbank police at (818) 238-3210.

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