Companies don't need to steal water in the US, they get it for free or subsidized:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/23/pepsi-coke-b...

Because we haven't commoditized it. People seem to be upset on one hand because we aren't making people buy water, and they turn around and express outrage at the notion that maybe water should be sold.

you think there is rampant theft of water in the US due to fire hydrants? I have never heard of that, do you have a source?

Yeah I doubt that much water is stolen from hydrants in the US. I have heard of business using it, but as I understood it they are required to get permitting and pay for usage by monitoring their flow, at least in California.

Usually it happens at the geographic fringes of civilization where cisterns/tanks get filled from municipal water supplies. Not people running a hose to their house.

But there’s also a lot of truck-delivered water used in construction/dust control.

No shortage of reports/charges: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fire+hydrant+water+theft