An apartment complex in North Dallas was left without running water for at least two nights after the building’s management shut it off to prevent pipes from bursting due to recent subzero temperatures.
The Arctic Blast has been overwhelming North Texas, disrupting municipal operations and leaving entire neighborhoods without gas to heat their homes, as reported by The Dallas Express. Now, residents of a building in North Dallas have had to contend with no running water for their sinks, showers, and toilets.
“This is about 72 hours now and we’ve kind of just been dealing with it, unfortunately,” resident Shapier Hill told NBC 5 DFW on Tuesday.
Residents of the Saxony apartment complex located along Montfort Drive were emailed that overnight water shutdowns would be effective from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. until at least January 17. Since then, management has extended the shutoff to include Saturday amid the changing forecast, per NBC 5.
While the measures may appear extreme, the concerns are not unfounded. As reported by The Dallas Express on January 16, the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office has a backlog of autopsies because of frozen pipes.
Regardless, Hill was surprised. “I didn’t think you could just shut the water off,” he said.
Dallas’ code compliance department told NBC 5 that unless repairs are occurring that require turning off the water, that water cannot be shut off to residents.
According to Texas law, “A landlord or a landlord’s agent may not interrupt or cause the interruption of utility service paid for directly to the utility company by a tenant unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction, or an emergency,” per the Texas State Law Library.
Whether management’s move constitutes a legitimate shut-off is yet to be seen. For their part, the City recommends any renters with similar concerns file a complaint by dialing 311.
