A man named Liu in Taiyuan, Shanxi was wanted online for suspected fraud and had been hiding at his mother and sister’s home for a long time during his escape. To alleviate anxiety and fear, he found that the roaring sound of the washing machine running could help him calm down. Consequently, day after day, he repeatedly washed clothes, leading to a total water usage of over 1,000 tons over three years, far exceeding the normal household consumption.
In a report by the Shanxi Evening News on May 11th, in ordinary daily life, a family of three typically uses around 100 tons of water a year, rarely exceeding 200 tons. However, a mother and daughter in Taiyuan, Shanxi, were found by the property management in early 2024 to have used over 400 tons of water in a year, and this unusually high water usage persisted for three consecutive years, drawing the attention of the property management.
Cui Haiyan, the property manager of the residential area, said that while most households consume about six to seven tons of water per month, this particular family was using an excessive amount of water.
After discovering this situation, the property management had previously visited to issue a warning. However, in early 2025, they discovered that this household still used over 400 tons of water. This time, repair personnel were specifically arranged to investigate, but the elderly person residing in the house at that time claimed to be alone at home, refusing entry to both the property management and repair personnel, and stating that they would arrange for someone to check and repair.
It was not until early 2026 when the water usage of this household approached 400 tons again that the property management became alert and reported it to the authorities.
According to the system records, only the mother and daughter were registered to live in the house. However, the property management indicated that it seemed like there was a man coming in and out of the house.
The Xinghua Police Station of Wanbailin Branch of Taiyuan Public Security Bureau revealed that in the police system, it was shown that the son, Liu, was wanted for fraud.
The property management also confirmed that the man entering and leaving the mother and daughter’s house was indeed Liu.
The suspect Liu, who is in his 50s, used to work as an employee at a power company in Xinzhou. He was wanted by the police in Xinzhou for suspected fraud.
Why did this household consume such a huge amount of water? Through peripheral investigations, it was found that Liu hardly went out during the day, only engaging in activities outside at night, and his clothing choices were very unusual.
Liu was eventually brought under control by the police. Upon questioning, he admitted that due to his long period of hiding and fear of being caught, he was restless and anxious all day. By chance, he discovered that the roaring sound of the washing machine running could calm his agitated mind, so he spent his days at home constantly washing clothes.
Currently, Liu has been prosecuted.