A water district has sued Tom Selleck, claiming the star of the crime shows Magnum, P.I. and Blue Bloods stole truckloads of water from a public hydrant and took it to his ranch in drought-stricken California.

The Calleguas Municipal Water District in Ventura County claims a tanker truck filled up at a hydrant on more than a dozen occasions and hauled the water to a 60-acre spread in Westlake Village.

The Los Angeles Times said Selleck grows avocados at the ranch.

The district also says it spent nearly $22,000 to hire a private investigator to document the alleged thefts that date back two years.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department also investigated and was unable to establish that a crime occurred, Capt. John Reilly said.​

Representatives for Selleck did not return phone messages and emails seeking comment Wednesday. The lawsuit also names the actor's wife, Jillie Selleck.

The lawsuit was submitted to Ventura County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Desperately dry

California communities have been ordered to cut water use compared with 2013 levels due to the relentless, four-year drought. The area where Selleck has his land is under mandatory cutbacks as high as 36 percent.

The cuts are the broadest on record and require businesses and cities to reduce water usage by 25 per cent. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP) The district claims it sent Selleck cease-and-desist letters aimed at halting the unlawful water deliveries, but the truck was spotted as recently as March filling up at the hydrant on four days and delivering water to the ranch.

The suit does not specify how much water was taken.

In addition to legal fees and investigative costs, the water district is seeking an injunction barring Selleck and his contractors or employees from taking water from the district.