HOA lowers homeowner's water pressure after they hire contractor to mess with water mains

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Jul 5, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

There are few first-world problems that will drive you as intensely mad as low water pressure. For those of us longing for a hot shower after a long day, there's nothing worse than stepping into the steam-filled room and being met with the pitiful trickle of water that isn't even sufficiently powered to blast the shampoo out of your hair. You've probably encountered this at accommodation while traveling. There's nothing like splashing out for a BnB or hotel suite only to realize that the shower power isn't up to scratch. But, you yourself may be cursed at your own home or rental with low water pressure; if that's the case, you probably don't know any better but spend your days desperately trying to scrape soap off your body with the minimal water on offer.

Still, once you realize what you're missing, you can't go back, and if your water pressure were to suddenly drop—like if, say, a new neighbor tapped into your well for rural folk—you'd be out for blood.

This homeowner shared how his water pressure suddenly dropped after a complaining neighbor had contractors come out and fiddle with the pipes that supplied the development. The homeowner seemed to think that the HOA had diverted pressure from his own home to supply his complaining neighbor, a prospect that was sending him through the roof. Discussion in the comments was split on whether or not this was the case or whether it was physically possible to accomplish, and some doubted the legitimacy of the claim as a whole based on the audacity the HOA would have to have to mess with public utilities. We've seen even stranger and more audacious behavior from HOAs online before, so it's safe to say that we wouldn't rule this one out.

See the original post below, which starts with an update that the original poster edited to the start of their post, followed by the original post and responses from readers in the comments.