Corona, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- Failing to repair a leak is unlawful
- Applies
- At all times, every conservation stage
- First violation
- Written notice within two weeks
- Repeat violation
- Flow restrictor or service shutoff
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine or 30 days jail
- Administering agency
- Riverside Public Utilities General Manager
Summary
Corona law makes failing to repair a water leak an unlawful "unreasonable use of water" at all times, alongside letting irrigation or leak runoff drain onto streets and neighboring property. The rule applies regardless of which water conservation stage the city has declared, so it never becomes optional.
(B) It is unlawful at any time for any person to waste water or to use it unreasonably. Unreasonable uses of water shall include, but are not limited to, the following practices: (1) Allowing water to leave a person's property by drainage onto adjacent properties or public or private roadways or streets due to excessive irrigation and/or uncorrected leaks; (2) Failing to repair a water leak; and (3) Using water to wash down sidewalks, driveways, parking areas, tennis courts, patios or other paved areas, except to alleviate immediate safety or sanitation hazards.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-56: Supplement contains: Local legislation passed through Ord. 3423, passed 12-3-2025).
Full Breakdown
26's water conservation and drought response measures effective at all times, and subsection (B) separately bans wasting water or using it unreasonably in any conservation stage. The code spells out that failing to repair a water leak is itself one of the listed unreasonable uses, alongside allowing water to leave a property by drainage onto adjacent parcels or streets due to excessive irrigation or uncorrected leaks. 060(C)(9) separately bars letting water leave the property due to uncorrected leaks. Riverside Public Utilities, acting through the General Manager, administers these rules and can require a special meter reading after a written notice of violation to confirm whether wasteful use, including an unrepaired leak, is continuing.
The city treats a leak as a customer's responsibility to fix promptly rather than a matter it will remedy on the customer's behalf, and the obligation exists independent of any declared shortage.
Violations & Fines
A first leak-related violation triggers a written notice or enforcement-officer visit under § 13.26.120 describing the required fix and possible consequences. A second or later violation can lead to installation of a flow-restricting device on the service line or discontinuance of water service. Any willful violation is also a misdemeanor under § 13.26.110, punishable by up to 30 days in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both, under California Water Code § 377, and the city may separately pursue injunctive relief in Superior Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it actually illegal to leave a water leak unrepaired in Corona?
Does the leak rule only apply during a drought stage?
What can the city do if I don't fix a reported leak?
Can I be prosecuted for an unrepaired leak, not just billed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Corona
California rules heatmap·Compare Corona to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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Leak Reporting Duty in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle leak reporting duty.