BOSTON (WHDH) -- The head of a Boston firefighters union is taking heat after using a fire hydrant to fill up a neighbor’s swimming pool.

“Someone has illegally used a fire hydrant and that’s against the Boston Water and Sewer Commission regulations to fill up a pool,” said Jeanne Richardson of the Water and Sewer Comm.

The illegally filled pool is in the backyard of a Norton Street home and was filled by a neighbor who heads up the Boston Firefighter’s Union.

Officials said he admitted that on his day off he took a hose from a fire truck, opened a nearby hydrant and filled the pool with city water.

“If there’s water that’s used illegally, citywide every ratepayer has a share of that burden,” said Richardson.

The city sent an investigator to measure the pool and determine how much water was used, then sent a letter to the homeowner. The letter read, in part, “The commission is charging you for the amount of water used and not billed. Please forward a check in the amount of $116.61.”

The pool’s owner did not want to comment.

The president of the firefighter’s union wasn’t home, but his boss issued a statement that said: “This is a lesson learned and a reminder to all our employees that our standards are high and we must always strive to meet them. The public expects no less.”

While some people in the neighborhood said it was wrong to use city water without paying for it, others said in the grand scheme of things this incident is nothing.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal. I think we’re making a big deal out of absolutely nothing,” said Kevin Quirk, a neighbor.

City officials said there is also a penalty of up to $5,000 for illegally using a fire hydrant. Officials are deciding who will pay the fee or at least a portion of it.