AITA Our neighbors well dried up and we cut them off from using our water?

In a quiet suburban country neighborhood where every household relies on its own well, tensions have risen over a critical resource: water. Our story centers on a family living in a newer 90’s home who found themselves increasingly frustrated by a neighboring household’s heavy and irresponsible use of water. With a dry well and a constant flow of 5-gallon buckets being filled for a large family, extensive garden, and even an excessive number of chickens and turkeys, the situation had grown unsustainable. What started as a neighborly favor soon escalated into a matter of protecting their own limited water supply.

After weeks of providing water with no clear effort to resolve their well issues, the decision was made to cut off access entirely. The tipping point came when an elderly neighbor was seen performing what resembled a rain dance around their yard. It was a hard decision, but one that now leaves a house full of kids and an unruly operation to fend for themselves.

‘AITA Our neighbors well dried up and we cut them off from using our water?’

We live in a suburban country neighborhood (USA). All the homes are on well / septic. There are original 1960’s ranchers with a few newer larger 90’s homes sprinkled throughout. We’re in a newer 90’s house and the neighbors are in one of the original homes. We each have two low yield wells and one of theirs has been dried up since before they bought the home.

Last week their good well stopped working and they asked my Wife if they could fill up buckets for their animals (more on this later) and garden. In the vein of being a good neighbor she naturally said yes. They’ve had a well company out and have been messing with both their wells on their own. But these past few days there’s been no work being done and they’ve provided no update.

My wife asked what was up the other day and they said that they have basically been getting the run around by various well companies and they don’t have time to pursue this harder. Everyday it’s multiple 5 gallon buckets in the morning and evening that they’re filling with our hose. Probably 20-30 gallons each fill up.

It’s 2 adults and 8 kids in their home, a large garden and a large (illegal) number of chickens and turkeys. They’ve clearly brought this on themselves with heavy irresponsible water use. They have a bunch of roosters that are not legal and are driving the neighborhood crazy. So I’ve been kind of irritated that we’re supporting the obnoxious rooster operation. Also obviously worried the increase use on our aquifer will mess our water flow up.

But it’s pretty cold to say “Hey you can’t fill up your buckets any more, your on your own” so we’ve been wrestling with what to do. Yesterday they had an older lady walking around their yard yelling and praying for the wells to open up. This was the last straw for us. In my opinion this is a serious problem that requires a serious, timely solution and they’ve got a lady basically doing a rain dance.

Last night my Wife told the Mom next door that we can’t provide water any more and that we could give them another 24hrs of water use to figure it out and the Mom got upset and walked away from my Wife while she was speaking to her. Which makes us feel better about our choice, basically F them, they’re rude and ungrateful but again still obviously we feel bad about cutting off a house full of kids from water use. Also none of the other neighbors are going to help because they’re upset about the roosters so they’re on their own now. AITAH?

Water management in rural communities is a delicate balance between generosity and resource sustainability. When individual households rely on low-yield wells, even moderate extra usage can threaten the water table. In this case, the neighbor’s continuous extraction—especially for non-essential uses—risked depleting a resource critical for everyday life. It is important to establish clear boundaries and responsibilities when a shared aquifer is at stake, ensuring that everyone’s needs are met without compromising the water supply.

The responsibility for maintaining a sustainable water supply falls on both the users and the providers. “Water is the lifeblood of communities, and managing it responsibly ensures a sustainable future,” says Dr. Peter Gleick, a renowned water resource expert. His words emphasize that over-extraction, especially in an environment with limited water yield, can have far-reaching consequences for all neighbors involved. This perspective reinforces the notion that cutting off water in such a situation is a necessary measure to safeguard a vital resource.

Furthermore, the situation highlights a broader issue of communal responsibility versus individual accountability. When one household’s negligence or overuse affects the entire community, proactive measures become not just prudent but essential. Water experts stress that regular maintenance and prompt repair of well systems are vital, and households facing repeated issues should consider upgrading their systems or reducing non-essential usage. Transparency and communication between neighbors are also key in preventing misunderstandings and ensuring fair usage.

In light of these challenges, communities must prioritize sustainability over short-term convenience. By setting firm limits and ensuring that every household contributes to resource preservation, long-term water security can be achieved. The decision to restrict access serves as a wake-up call: when communal resources are at risk, every neighbor must play their part responsibly. This case is a vivid reminder that protecting essential resources sometimes requires making difficult, yet necessary, choices.

Finally, while empathy for the affected household is natural, the overarching principle remains clear—water cannot be taken for granted. The measures implemented here aim to preserve the resource for the entire community rather than subsidizing irresponsible practices.

See what others had to share with OP:

Most comments supported the decision to cut off the neighbor’s water supply, citing that the excessive use of water and failure to address the problem of the dry well were their own doing. The user was judged to have acted appropriately in prioritizing the protection of his family’s water supply, especially given the neighbor’s unusually large population of people and livestock, along with the illegal keeping of roosters that were a nuisance to the neighborhood.

Some comments also suggested that the neighbor should purchase packaged water temporarily for basic household needs while the problem of the well was addressed. Overall, the community felt that cutting off the water supply was necessary and reasonable in this context.

ReviewOk929 −  NTA. they don’t have time to pursue this harder. I mean a lack of running water should absolutely be their top. priority, especially given how many living things they have that need it. You have some legitimate concerns and some spurious reasons for doing it but this is entirely on them. If they can’t prioritize the one thing that absolutely everything needs to live and thrive then that’s on them. I’m quite sure they can go buy water at the store so no one is in mortal danger here.

MrMagicMarker43 −  NTA. Don’t run your well dry to water their farm. If you want to be neighborly still, give them drinking water for the humans. But they can go buy jugs of bubbler water for a few weeks while the well people figure it out. Also, might be a good idea to have your own well people give you an estimate on how much you can draw per day

Best-Philosopher1463 −  NTA I think. It has only been a little over a week max. I don’t know how long it takes to fix a well or what the solution is, but they can I’m assuming buy water at a store. I think you should probably put a cap on it like you can’t water your garden, but you can water your kids and chickens and maybe a deadline like if they want to use your water you need to be kept up-to-date and if anything changes in your water situation, you were going to cut them off immediately?

SamBartlett1776 −  NTA We too live with well and septic. There are companies that will provide a water buffalo (tank) for temporary use. Once they start paying for that, maybe they will work harder to fix the wells. They’ve had since they bought the house to address the issue.

rockology_adam −  NTA. Frankly, you’re a saint for allowing them to use your water for as long as you did. Even ignoring the illegal animals, supporting two households on your low-yield wells was never going to be a long-term solution. Cut them off now, and find some measures to ensure they aren’t stealing water from you over the short term.

SoImaRedditUserNow −  NTA – I have some experience with the well battles. Honestly – it feels a little odd to me that they didn’t offer you some money or something. I get you were being neighborly, but given the whole 10 people… Are you saying they’ve been getting enough water for 10 people (cooking, showering) + their chickens from you, via 5 gallon buckets. Thats insane. I can’t imagine how much water that is, let alone the pure logistics of getting all that in 5 gallon paint buckets.. They’re getting their steps in and some upper body work, thats for sure.

Trick_Delivery4609 −  Uh, if their well “dries up”, you and everyone one in your neighborhood will have a BIG serious problem very shortly too. Water tables affect everyone.  If it is a pump problem or something else mechanical but not drying up, then you hopefully should be ok. If I was you/ your neighbors, I would somehow figure it out ASAP.

You either will need deeper wells drilled or somehow tap into public water lines. This is not something to push off until the problem occurs with more people. I don’t think I would cut them off coldly though. I would figure out what I felt comfortable with to make sure the actual people could drink (2 buckets a day?) then report them for illegal roosters..  NAH yet.

Big-Friendship-5258 −  As another well owner, NTA. You can’t risk your well for their incompetence. They have the ability to buy bulk water with a truck and reservoir like any other rancher.

Arcane_As_Fuck −  Let me guess, they homeschool their entirely unreasonable number of children? NTA. If they think prayers and not a well company can fix their problem, then prayers and not your well can get them through.

[Reddit User] −  “they said that they have basically been getting the run around by various well companies and they don’t have time to pursue this harder”. Translation: the quotes were too high so they prefer to continue using your water indefinitely. NTA. At least now your neighbours can reallocate the time spent filling buckets to prayer.

Ultimately, the decision to cut off water was driven by necessity. While it may seem harsh to deny a family access during a crisis, the unsustainable use of a shared resource in a community with low-yield wells justifies such action. This raises an important question for all of us: how do we balance neighborly support with the need to protect critical resources? What would you do if you were in a similar situation? Share your thoughts and experiences—let’s discuss the best ways to manage communal resources responsibly.