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I dunno, seems to me those water stealing folks have enough trouble without anyone else causing more for them. Just put a lock on your water and leave them alone. Any damage to floors, appliances, etc., is between them and their landlord and is not your area of responsibility. They can flush a toilet by filling up the tank so they've probably got sanitary facilities. Since they can't pay their water bill, their life isn't in a happy place so getting them into trouble with the Board of Health or their landlord isn't going to improve it any.
Another easy way to keep water from being used is to remove the faucet handle. It's just held on with a screw usually. Remove the screw, pull the handle and it comes off. When you want to use the water, push the handle back over the valve stem. Although, the neighbors would be able to take a handle off a different faucet and then use that on yours, but that would take at least a tiny bit of pre-planning.
If you know someone who hunts that might have one of those "deer cams" people are setting up around their homes to catch people in the act and put it somewhere that the "water people" can't see it but it can see the, then turn the video in to the police
How about contacting the thieves, tell them they were observed seen stealing water, if they come into your property again you will call the cops. That serves notification, and I bet they wont touch your property again.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Toilets can be flushed by pouring a bucket quickly into the bowl, but most likely they would leave the cover off and pour the water into the tank to flush. people on wells often keep a few gallons in the bathroom in case of a power outage.
Here in Seattle, the owner is ultimately responsible for the utility bills, and the city can put a lean on the property for unpaid bills, whether in the tenant's name or the owner's. As a commercial landlord, I get a letter from the city when a tenant's utility bill is late. If that's not the way your city does it, I would definitely recommend contacting the landlord.
people living without water and that would steal from neighbors are probably not what the landlord is looking for.
I think the faucet locks should be enough to discourage them from stealing your water; seems like your neighbors don't actually want anyone to know they're stealing water so they shouldn't be willing to actually break a lock to steal water. If I were you, I would also talk to other neighbors you know within a couple block radius and warn them to also get faucet locks as well.
The bigger concern with me is if they're living in a house with no running water; then where are they dumping all their waste water and where are they dumping their human waste? If I were you I would see if you can make an anonymous complaint to the health department and get them to come out and inspect the house. Depending on where your neighbors are dumping their waste, you could have a big problem in the making for you and your other neighbors.
Toilets work on gravity, as long as they are taking the buckets of water and dumping them in the top sump the toilet will flush just fine.
How about contacting the thieves, tell them they were observed seen stealing water, if they come into your property again you will call the cops. That serves notification, and I bet they wont touch your property again.
Sometimes confronting people in already desperate situations can bring up LOADS of drama or worse. We have a family across the street whos daughter is a piece of work. She has boys over all the time and one knocked her up. One night she was in the street as usual fighting with a boy at 1AM so I walked out there with a maglite when I saw him push her. The boy ran off then came back and banged on my front door and cussed me out. I called the cops on him and he was arrested for prior outstanding warrants. Now I have this kid who knows I caused him to get put in the slammer out there somewhere......
There are some neighbors on our street that have been seen stealing water from two other neighbors across from me. I have not seen them stealing from me but I wonder if they are. Not sure if their water has been completely turned off or if they are just having trouble paying the bill.
One of the neighbors who they were stealing from bought caps for two of the outdoor faucets on his house ( he has 3 ) but they are on very tightly and need a pliers to be taken off to use the water. Now he can only use water from one place outside of his house. He says his water bill has gone down a lot since then.
That will not work for me I need to be able to use my water . I found some links to water faucet locks and wonder if anyone has ever used them before and if they will work?
How should I handle this? Should I talk to them about it ? They are nice people for the most part but I can't have them stealing water from me. There may be organizations here in the county that can help them pay their water bill. I feel bad for them but if they keep doing this they may end up getting arrested. I do not want that to happen.
How should you handle it? It's theft! Also, trespassing. Why wouldn't you call the police? Do you have outdoor cameras? If not, put one in, so that you have proof.
How about contacting the thieves, tell them they were observed seen stealing water, if they come into your property again you will call the cops. That serves notification, and I bet they wont touch your property again.
I'd rather catch it on film and hand off to the City. Otherwise, you've just passed these "nice" people onto someone else and it becomes their problem.
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