ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Residents at the Townhomes at Double Creek in Round Rock got a notice they would be without water, as freezing temperatures are expected throughout Central Texas come Sunday. Sandalwood Management oversees the property, it says the original notice wasn’t clear and said staff will only turn water off if it drops below 20 degrees. It added that would likely only be overnight. At least one other complex has taken this measure before, trying to prevent pipes from bursting, which KXAN reported on in 2022. KXAN reached out to the Texas Apartment Association. It said it doesn’t have a policy regarding shutting water off or preparing for winter weather. However, Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA), said it’s illegal unless there’s an emergency or repairs being made. “Leaving people without water just to prevent those busted pipes shouldn’t be happening,” Jazmin Rivera a tenant outreach specialist with BASTA said. “People should have the right to water and to feel safe and secure in their homes…we would definitely recommend for tenants to contact 311 to get a code inspector out on the property.”
When I visited Texas they didn’t strike me as any more or less stupid than other americans. But that is why I said if the residents don’t follow instructions then you go to shutting off the water. At least give them the benefit of the doubt at first.
The part of Texas that’s dumb is the people in charge and their approach to common problems. This water shut off is one such example of ignoring known solutions to a potential problem and instead being willful to the detriment of others.
Another example is their power situation - unique to Texas for a variety of their own reasons. Texas doesn’t give the benefit of the doubt to others because they don’t think that others can solve the problem. They make moves and ignore all outside feedback.