Forsyth County, GA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Repair deadline
- 30 days after county notice
- Applies
- Year-round, drought or not
- 2nd violation fee
- $100 on water bill
- 4th+ violation
- $1,000 plus service termination
- Appeal window
- 10 days, $50 processing fee
Summary
Forsyth County treats an unrepaired water leak as a water-wasting violation at all times, drought or not. Once the county notifies a property owner of a controllable leak, the owner has 30 days to fix it or face escalating administrative penalties.
Restriction on water wasting activities. The following are prohibited everyday and all the time under non-drought and all declared drought response levels as water wasting activities: (1) Operating a landscape irrigation system under the following conditions: i. With visible leaks... (3) Failing to repair a controllable leak, including a broken sprinkler head, a leaking valve, a leaking outdoor faucet, a service line leak, or any other visible outside water leaks, on premises owned, leased, or managed by that person, within 30 days after being notified by Forsyth County.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 43).
Full Breakdown
Section 18-175(b) lists water-wasting activities that are banned every day, year-round, regardless of drought status, and subsection (b)(3) specifically makes it a violation to fail to repair a controllable leak, including a broken sprinkler head, a leaking valve, a leaking outdoor faucet, a service line leak, or any other visible outside water leak, on premises the person owns, leases, or manages, within 30 days after Forsyth County provides notice. The same subsection also bans operating an irrigation system with visible leaks or broken sprinkler heads, letting water escape onto a public right-of-way, and running a hose without a shut-off nozzle.
00 plus service termination and reconnection charges, all measured within a rolling 24-month window. 00 processing fee. Violations may alternatively be pursued criminally through a citation to magistrate court under section 1-12 instead of the administrative billing penalty.
Violations & Fines
Failing to repair a reported leak within the 30-day window is a water-wasting violation under section 18-175(b)(3), penalized through section 18-177's escalating schedule: $100.00 for a second violation, $500.00 for a third, and $1,000.00 plus service termination for a fourth or later violation within 24 months, or alternatively a magistrate court citation carrying the county's general fine and jail penalties under section 1-12.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to fix a water leak after Forsyth County notifies me?
What penalty applies for repeated unrepaired leaks in Forsyth County?
Can I appeal a Forsyth County water leak violation penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Forsyth County
Compare Forsyth County to another location·View the Georgia water use rules overview
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