There's a water leak at your neighbor's house that is running a stream down their driveway and into the street.

It's been going since Friday.

4/16/2024 10:19:02 AM

If you like your neighbors, cut their water off at the meter and give them a call. Are they not home? Their water heater probably busted.

4/16/2024 10:21:29 AM

Also, you can call the city and they'll send someone to cut off the water.

4/16/2024 10:31:32 AM

Yes, call the city (and hopefully it's water and not wastewater)

4/16/2024 10:37:17 AM

supply line to the house could have ruptured, my neighbors did that last year and there was a permanent puddle in my yard until we figured it out.

But it could've been the Wet Bandits

4/16/2024 11:01:04 AM

I'm glad I know my neighbors well enough that they wouldn't post about it on the internet until after they fixed the problem.

4/16/2024 11:13:30 AM

Why is being a homeowner a prerequisite for considering what to do about a water leak at your neighbor's house?

4/16/2024 11:16:56 AM

the home next door is owned by a consortium in Houston

I directed this at home owners because when I was a renter (like my neighbors) I didn't care very much to notice these kinds of things

I'm concerned now because the water is getting into my yard

[Edited on April 16, 2024 at 1:31 PM. Reason : -]

4/16/2024 1:30:49 PM

To me it sounds like free irrigation to me.

4/16/2024 1:41:07 PM

gonna check my insurance to see if it covers sink holes

4/16/2024 1:41:45 PM

Do you live in a region well-known for its karst geology?

4/16/2024 6:15:50 PM

Your neighbors are probably dead

4/16/2024 6:34:44 PM

Cut it off at the meter, FFS!

4/16/2024 10:19:49 PM

I have no way of knowing that they want it off and I'd be trespassing.

I'm contacting the city.

^^ I've seen cars come and go. I don't think they're dead.


[Edited on April 16, 2024 at 11:47 PM. Reason : - ]

4/16/2024 11:46:34 PM

Quote :

"To me it sounds like free irrigation to me"

Have you tried sending them a DM on thewolfweb to see if they're okay?

This actually happened on my street in the last week, and on the first evening one of the other neighbors followed the stream up to a garden hose that was just blasting at 11PM, so they turned it off.

4/17/2024 11:01:44 AM

Quote :

"I've seen cars come and go. I don't think they're dead"

Those are the murderers coming and going from cleaning the crime scene

4/17/2024 11:07:59 AM

I am still confused.

Based on the car traffic, you think they are there and that they might actually want a damaging and expensive water leak?

This is why I turn my water off at the meter anytime I leave for more than two days or so. Takes an extra 30 seconds.

One of the killers can be a burst washing machine water supply line hose.

4/17/2024 12:18:07 PM

finally talked to them

we talked about shutting the water off but their valve is locked by their landlord or property management company

based on tax records I know their landlord is a big company in Houston

neighbor isn't dead and I gave him my # in case he needs anything
also advised him to keep his records of attempting to get the landlord to fix it so he can avoid a fine if the city gets involved

personally, I'd love to see that out-of-state company that bought up affordable houses in our town eat some serious shit -- makes me want to hurry up the process of having our property lines marked by a surveyor and sending them letters about all of the trees that threaten my property

4/17/2024 12:37:17 PM

That sucks. Usually valve locks are to shut off water for non-payment, not to make sure you CAN'T shut off the valve. Sounds like a dumb situation.

Like this:

4/17/2024 12:50:53 PM

Quote :

"Cut it off at the meter, FFS!"

Pretty sure that's actually illegal, since the City owns and maintains the meter

Quote :

"we talked about shutting the water off but their valve is locked by their landlord or property management company"

Again, I'm almost positive that's illegal, as the landlord doesn't own the meter, it's the City's and they should have access to it.

Yes, call the CITY! They own the meter.

4/17/2024 12:51:16 PM

That's wild. At my home the meter has two valves, one on the supply side and one on the house side. The supply side is the one you aren't supposed to fuck with. The other just cuts off water to the house. IDK how your meter/valves look but it certainly isn't illegal to cut off your own water after the meter.

4/17/2024 1:01:09 PM

Yes, technically it is (although they're probably not going to punish you if you just turn your own water off because you have a serious leak. But you especially can't turn a neighbor's off)

From City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department:

Quote :

"FACT: The City of Raleigh owns the water meters. It is illegal for unauthorized persons, including licensed plumbers, to turn water on or off at the meter or to otherwise tamper with any water meter.-Jul 1, 2019"

[Edited on April 17, 2024 at 1:18 PM. Reason : oh, you said AFTER the meter... which yeah, you own the line after the City/County's meter)]

4/17/2024 1:11:04 PM

Quote :

"Pretty sure that's actually illegal, since the City owns and maintains the meter"

I live out in God's country, not in some municipal hellscape. My meter also only has a cut-off on the supply side. Dare them to come at me for leak prevention.

But I understand and admit that you are technically correct. Doesn't mean I have to agree with their dumb rules.

4/17/2024 1:25:07 PM

I mean, you're getting treated potable water delivered to you from the City (or County, or Private Utility), So yeah, they own, maintain and regulate your meter. You could dig your own well or collect, filter and boil water from a stream (or buy it from the grocery store)

I think one of the main concerns is somebody trying to turn-off their water and breaking the valve/line.


[Edited on April 17, 2024 at 1:38 PM. Reason : ]

4/17/2024 1:35:59 PM

I contacted city stormwater last night and the water department today
water department told me that the property owner has to fix it
but that stormwater may investigate and fine them because it is running into a storm drain

I expressed concern that the renters were young, nice, and hard working and I didn't want them to get fined so the nice lady on the phone outlined how they can document their attempts to get the landlord to address it and pass the fine onto the landlord

4/17/2024 1:44:27 PM

Lol. My water meter just has simple quarter turn valves. If someone broke them while attempting to turn off/on it would be impressive.

I also don't live in a municipal hellscape. I live in the land of "county water" which is actually private water utilities (god bless NC ) We had a leak last year and after i cut it off at the meter and it didn't stop, i called the water company. The first thing they told me to do was cut it off at my side of the meter to see if it stopped, so obviously they do not care. Then they told me to cut off the other side to see if it was the meter itself and it was! But that was their problem so they came and fixed it.

Yeah my meter has a valve on either end, both of which are part of the actual meter assembly. The house side doesn't have the ability the be locked out while the supply side does.

4/17/2024 1:49:53 PM

Quote :

"My water meter just has simple quarter turn valves."

Sometime those things haven't been turned in decades and are rusted. More than once I've seen people break the lines trying to turn them

[Edited on April 17, 2024 at 1:54 PM. Reason : ]

4/17/2024 1:53:24 PM

Not a ball valve on the water line, but built into the meter itself and made of brass? Ball valves absolutely will fail, especially the handle itself.



Like this basically

There is also a shut off on the water line where it goes into the house but it's a fuckin gate valve that I'm 100% sure no longer works

4/17/2024 1:54:33 PM

I'm going to say that I'm keeping my valve in good working order by exercising it regularly.

4/17/2024 2:07:03 PM

I get your mom to exercise my valve regularly

4/17/2024 3:02:08 PM

No you don't.

4/17/2024 3:12:37 PM

UPDATE: The water is no longer flowing into the street, my driveway, and the storm drain.

4/19/2024 9:27:46 AM