Yakima County, WA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Yakima County Code Chapter 12.08 splits responsibility for water leaks at the meter box. Under YCC § 12.08.260, owners of service lines are responsible for all leaks or damages to the lines, and privately owned services are defined to include every domestic service line between the meter box and the consumer's property, plus any lines lying on or under that property. Anything upstream, the public main and meter, stays the county's problem: YCC § 12.08.220 directs the Public Services Director to shut off public water lines immediately when they develop leaks or become a danger to the drinking water supply, and requires the repairs be made at the expense of the county. On the customer's side, § 12.08.210 gives the director the same immediate shutoff authority over private lines that leak or threaten the water supply, but puts the repair bill on the sole expense of the customer or owner, subject to the director's final approval before service is restored.

Customers who want relief on their bill after a leak must follow § 12.08.660's four-step process: repair the leak as soon as it is found, file a written adjustment request describing the cause and the repair, and submit copies of the plumbing bill or replacement-part costs along with evidence the repair was actually made on the property. The Public Services Director then compares consumption during the loss period to the average for the same period over the prior two years and credits 50 percent of the excess, capped at $200, available only once per calendar year, at the director's discretion. Because private water lines must be built to county construction standards and are only allowed where the director finds the impact on the system insignificant under § 12.08.190, delayed repairs risk more than the loss of a credit: an unrepaired leak that endangers the supply can trigger an immediate county-ordered shutoff until it is fixed.