Some neighbor disputes start with loud music. Others, with property lines.
This one started with a swimming pool and ended with a dry tap.
A Redditor recently shared how they went from politely sharing their family’s well water to shutting it off completely after their new neighbor started wasting a jaw-dropping 400,000 liters a day.
The neighbor’s pool wasn’t just for weekend dips, it was being filled and drained daily, like some luxury resort in the middle of the desert.
After two warnings and two rude “f*** off” responses, the Redditor made a choice: turn the valve and cut the flow. The neighbor is now outraged, claiming they have no right to take away their water.
So was this a bold stand against waste… or a risky move that could backfire?
When Neighborly Sharing Turns into a Water War
It started innocently enough: a shared well, a friendly understanding, and the hope that a new neighbor would respect the arrangement. The Redditor’s family had owned this well for three decades, and though it was generous to share, the verbal agreement was clear, water was for daily living needs like cooking, cleaning, and maybe a bit of gardening.
Then came the shock. The new neighbor decided the well was a bottomless supply for their swimming pool, filling and draining it every single day. The numbers were staggering, 400,000 liters a day, enough to refill multiple pools in less than 24 hours.
At first, the Redditor tried to handle it diplomatically. They explained the limits of the well, the electricity cost to run the pump, and the fact that overuse could put the water supply for both households at risk. But diplomacy hit a wall.
Twice, the neighbor dismissed the concerns with a blunt “f*** off,” showing no interest in compromise or conservation. That was the last drop. One turn of the valve later, the neighbor’s taps went dry, and the real fight began.
The silence from next door didn’t last long. Soon came the accusations, the complaints, and the cries that “nobody owns water.”
The Redditor stood firm, pointing out that while water may be a shared natural resource in theory, the well itself and the infrastructure to bring that water to the surface, belonged to their family. And with summer heat bearing down, the neighborhood gossip mill churned almost as fast as the well pump used to.
Expert Take
While the move to cut the water was satisfying in the short term, it may not be legally watertight. According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, a typical swimming pool holds 75,000–113,000 liters, making the neighbor’s usage the equivalent of draining and refilling several pools a day.
It’s a mind-boggling waste, especially in a world where, according to a 2023 WHO report, 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water. But frustration doesn’t erase legal nuance.
A 2024 analysis from the National Law Review warns that long-term shared access – like the decade-long arrangement here – can sometimes establish easement rights, which means cutting off the supply without due process could have legal consequences.
Water rights vary by state, but they’re notoriously complicated. Dr. Sandra Postel, a water conservation expert, puts it simply:
“Water disputes require dialogue, not unilateral action, to avoid escalating conflicts.”
The neighbor’s rudeness might justify setting limits, but it doesn’t automatically make a total shutoff safe from legal backlash.
From a practical standpoint, the Redditor’s case is strong in spirit – nobody should burn through that much water for a personal pool but a safer approach might have been a written warning, a formal complaint, or mediation.
Legal advice should be the next step to protect the family’s rights while ensuring future sharing agreements are in writing, with strict limits on non-essential use. Until then, this water war is far from over, and the waves it’s making might be bigger than either neighbor expected.
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
Most commenters agreed the poster wasn’t at fault, with some urging legal advice and others baffled by the wasteful pool-filling routine.
Many commenters sided with the poster but stressed the need to check the legalities, as cutting off a long-used water source could have serious consequences.
Others were baffled by the neighbor’s wasteful behavior, with some suggesting the OP bill them for electricity while others questioned the truth of filling and draining a pool in a single day.
Are these opinions making waves or just treading water? You be the judge!
This Redditor’s water war is a lesson in how fast neighborly agreements can go down the drain.
Shutting off the valve stopped the waste but left their neighbor high and dry, sparking a feud that’s anything but refreshing.
Was the Redditor right to pull the plug on such reckless water use, or should they have kept the peace?
How would you handle a neighbor treating your well like their personal pool filler? Share your rippling thoughts below!
