Bakersfield residents should report visible water waste and broken sprinklers to Cal Water Bakersfield directly, and report broken municipal water mains or hydrants to the Bakersfield Public Works dispatch line for prompt repair.
Because Cal Water and other private utilities serve most retail customers, leak reporting splits between utility customer service for service-line and residential leaks and city Public Works for street-side mains, hydrants, and irrigation in city parks. Cal Water encourages 24-hour reporting by phone or online for broken sprinklers, runoff, or geysering pipes. State Water Board emergency regulations require utilities to fix customer-side leaks within seven days of notice. The Kern River and groundwater basin face long-term overdraft, making leak prevention especially important in the Central Valley.
Failure to repair customer-side leaks within seven days of notice can trigger fines up to 500 dollars per day under State Water Board emergency regulations.
See how Bakersfield's leak reporting duty rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.