In the wake of freezing temperatures, residents of the Saxony apartment complex in North Dallas have been hit with a chilling reality: no water overnight. According to NBC 5, the management's decision to shut off the water between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.—an action intended to prevent pipe bursts during the night—has left tenants troubled and questioning the legality of such preventative measures.
The unexpected water shutoff has lasted more than 72 hours, with occupants like Shapier Hill caught unprepared. Hill, a Wisconsin native, failed to check her email which contained a notification about the scheduled shutoff, and later found out the hard way, that the complex further extended the water shutoff to include Saturday night in light of the changing forecast. She expressed her surprise saying, "I didn't think you could just shut the water off", as per NBC DFW.
As for the authorities, the City of Dallas's code compliance department has clarified that apartment management cannot legally cut off water unless it is actively fixing an issue that necessitates a shutoff. This has led to an advisory issued by City Council member Cara Mendelsohn, who, although not a representative for Saxony urged the city code compliance director to remind apartment management companies of these regulations.
The water shutoff decision has been a contentious issue residents were informed of the water shutoff via email but for many, the message did not permeate until the taps ran dry. A leasing representative from Saxony has pledged to issue a statement on the matter affirming residents were made aware of the preemptive measure due to past instances of water line bursts. Moche Earls, a compliance officer for Richdale Apartments—which includes Saxony—defended the decision in a statement obtained by the American Patriot Post, noting that "We believe that turning off the domestic water for 6 to 7 hours a night when most are sleeping was a small inconvenience compared to the tremendous issues we encountered in the 2021 storm."
While controversy stirs amongst the impacted renters, code compliance inspectors have been dispatched to probe the situation, which has been categorized as a 'life hazard issue.' In such cases, they have a mandate to respond within 24 hours following a complaint. With the action taken by Saxony in sharp focus and residents' reactions mixed, the conversation about a balance between preventative actions and residents' daily living needs continues, stirring contention within the community.
