Frederick County, VA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Five-day notice to repair leak, unaddressed
- Consequence
- Water service ceased by Frederick Water
- Applies during
- Drought warning stage or higher
- Restoration condition
- Pay fine, reconnection fee, other charges
- Enforcement
- Sheriff, Fire Marshal, or Sanitation Authority
Summary
Once a drought warning is declared in Frederick County outside Winchester, Stephens City and Middletown, Frederick Water customers given a five-day notice to fix a leak who fail to do so can have their water service cut off entirely.
Voluntary reductions of overall water use by all customers of the FCSA, as set forth above for the drought watch stage; and ... In addition: ... Ceasing water service to customers who have been given a five-day notice to repair one or more leaks and have failed to do so;
Full Breakdown
Chapter 75 of the Frederick County Code, the Drought Response and Contingency Plan, makes leak repair a mandatory duty once the County Administrator, in consultation with the Executive Director of the Sanitation Authority, declares a drought warning stage under § 75-4. A(2), Frederick Water is authorized to cease service to any customer who received a five-day notice to repair one or more leaks and failed to act within that window; the same subsection separately commits the utility to intensifying its own efforts to find and fix leaks in the distribution system.
A(1) asks residents to voluntarily check faucets and toilets for potential leaks as part of a 10% voluntary reduction target. The leak-notice rule sits among other drought-warning measures such as ceasing new irrigation tap installations and barring restaurants from serving water unless requested, all aimed at trimming nonessential use once dry conditions threaten the reliability of the water supply. Service that has been disconnected under Chapter 75 is not restored automatically; § 75-7 requires the customer to pay the underlying fine, a reconnection fee, and any other outstanding charges before Frederick Water will turn the water back on.
Violations & Fines
Failing to repair a leak within the five-day notice period during a drought warning is enforced as a civil violation under § 75-7 by the Sheriff's Department, the Fire Marshal or the Sanitation Authority, which may issue a citation and disconnect service; reconnection requires paying the fine plus a reconnection fee and any other charges. The Executive Director of the Sanitation Authority may waive the penalty if the violation was through no fault of the customer, and a cited person can appear before the County Treasurer to waive trial and pay before the case reaches General District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I don't fix a reported water leak in Frederick County?
Is leak repair required outside of a drought warning?
Who enforces the leak-repair notice in Frederick County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Frederick County
Compare Frederick County to another location·View the Virginia water use rules overview
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