SABATTUS – Town officials said that the public water supply was not contaminated after at least one intruder broke into the Sabattus reservoir. A surge protector used to support the water pumps, which are designed to maintain the town’s water overflow, was stolen.

The intruder scaled the 8-foot, barbed-wire fence at the Walcroft Street reservoir early Tuesday morning and broke through multi-security devices to gain access to the control box, police said. Town officials are not sure how many people were involved but said they have some guesses who may have caused the damage but don’t want to speculate before the investigation is complete.

“There are two access doors down to the underground reservoir and both were pried open,” Chief Thomas Fales said. “When they removed the protective cover on the control box they triggered a sensor alarm, which informed the water district of a problem.”

The alarm was set off at 12:13 a.m. Tuesday and shortly after, the police were notified and arrived on scene. “We went through everything with a fine-toothed comb and found the control box cover in the woods,” Fales said. The cover is currently being tested for fingerprints at the state’s crime lab.

“We were first concerned to see that the doors to the city water supply were just left open,” Fales said. “I was told after the water was tested that nothing was done to contaminate the water.”

Selectman Mark Duquette said because the intruder unplugged the pumps, the water was sent to the reservoir overflow and not cycled back into the town.

“Everything that was up there was contained up there,” Douquette said. “This becomes a Homeland Security issue and could become a big deal.”

Fales said it all depends on what the District Attorney’s Office wants to prosecute. “Initially there is the trespassing issue and I would think it would be an aggravated criminal mischief charge,” he said

There has been tampering in the area before, but nothing like this that Fales can recall in the 13 years he has been serving with the city. “Water supply is always a vulnerability of a town and nothing we can take lightly.”

The chief said the department has thought of placing cameras at the site but is afraid of the damage that would be done to that technology.

“There has been high-power rifle vandalism in the past and that is one reason why we don’t put a camera up there. They would just shoot it out.”

Town officials are hoping that if something unusual happens, or if someone hears evening gunfire in the area, that neighbors will report it to local authorities in a timely fashion.

“We can’t be there every moment. We need help, too,” Fales said.