Cambridge, MA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Repair window
- 3 days after pipe/fixture becomes defective
- First/second offense fine
- Up to $50, plus $2 reconnection
- Third offense
- Water Board vote required to restore service
- Police duty
- CPD reports observed leaks under §13.08.120
Summary
Cambridge owners and occupants must fix a defective service pipe or fixture within three days of it becoming defective, or stop water running to waste, under Municipal Code § 13.08.100. Miss the deadline and the fine is $50, with water shut off until it's fixed and paid.
An owner or occupant of premises in which water furnished by the City is used, who fails to keep their service pipes and fixtures in good order, and neglects to repair the same within three days after they have, from any cause, become defective, or who neglects to shut off the water after using it, so that it runs to waste, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty dollars; and if such fine is not paid within two days from the time when the person incurring it receives notice that he is liable thereto, the water shall be cut off from their premises, and shall not be let on again until the waste is stopped and the fine paid, together with an additional sum of two dollars for cutting off and letting on the water.
Full Breakdown
100 places the repair duty squarely on the owner or occupant of premises using City water: once a service pipe or fixture becomes defective, they have three days to repair it, and they must also shut off water that is running to waste. Failing either duty draws a fine up to $50. If that fine goes unpaid within two days of notice, the Water Department cuts off the water and will not restore it until the waste is stopped and the fine, plus a $2 reconnection charge, is paid.
A second offense in the same year draws another $50 fine on the same terms. A third offense is treated more seriously: water stays off until the Water Board itself votes to restore it, alongside payment of a fine the Board sets, up to $50. 120: the Cambridge Police Department must report to the Chief Superintendent any leakage, waste or unnecessary profusion in water use its officers observe, along with any violations of the water chapter brought to its attention, so that unreported or unaddressed leaks still reach the Water Department through police channels.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 13.08.100 carries a fine up to $50, with water cut off if the fine is unpaid within two days, restorable only after the waste is stopped, the fine is paid, and a $2 reconnection charge is covered. A second offense in the same year repeats that $50 fine and shutoff process. A third offense requires an affirmative vote of the Water Board, plus payment of a Board-set fine up to $50, before service can be restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast must a Cambridge property owner fix a leaking pipe?
What happens if I don't pay the $50 leak fine in Cambridge?
Does Cambridge police report water leaks they notice?
What happens on a third water-waste violation in Cambridge?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
Compare Cambridge to another location·View the Massachusetts water use rules overview
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