Chesapeake, VA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Sec. 78-59(3) is a subsection of the city's broader 'Water conservation' ordinance and applies specifically to leak repairs. It does not require owners to self-report leaks; instead it is triggered by a determination from the director of the department of public utilities that a premises is using an excessive amount of water due to leakage from water lines or plumbing fixtures. Once the department notifies the owner, the owner is on the hook to repair and stop the leakage, whether the property is a residential unit, a commercial establishment, or an industrial establishment.

The obligation sits with the owner of the unit or establishment, not a tenant, which matters for rental properties where the department's notice creates a direct repair duty on the landlord. 25 gallons per minute of hot water and four gallons per minute total, water-recycling systems for new continuous-flow equipment of five gallons per minute or more, recycling systems for car washes, and a general ban on letting water run to waste from any hydrant, meter, fixture, hose, or sprinkler system. Enforcement of the whole section, including the leak-repair duty, rests with the department of public utilities unless the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code otherwise controls.