25,000 litres of drinking water was stolen on Monday night from a facility at Murwillumbah on the Far North Coast.

The thieves came prepared with a water tanker and a Toyota Hilux, and remain at large.

Detective Chief Inspector Luke Arthurs tells Luke Grant the perpetrators accessed council mains to steal the water.

“Water is very precious at the moment… Every drop is valuable to the community,” he says.

Nearby towns may be out of drinking water entirely early next year, and water restrictions in the Tweed Shire Council areas are being tightened again tomorrow.

“We’ll leave no stone unturned to identify these offenders and put them before the courts.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Tweed Heads Police on (07) 5506 9499.

Image: Getty/Willowpix