Gilroy, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Outside a declared shortage, Gilroy's baseline voluntary standard (V-0.3, Section 27.98(b)(1)) simply asks that excessive loss of water through leaks, breaks or malfunctions be corrected 'as soon as practical' once discovered. That soft standard hardens into a hard deadline once the City Council declares a water supply shortage level by resolution. Under a Level 1 shortage (11 to 20 percent demand reduction), Section 27.98(c)(4) gives the water user 72 hours from the city's notification to complete repairs. If the shortage escalates to Level 2 (21 to 35 percent reduction), Section 27.98(d)(2) cuts that window to 48 hours.

Once the council declares a Level 3 water shortage emergency (over 35 percent reduction) under Section 27.98(e)(2), the repair window shrinks to just 24 hours from notification. In every tier, the water user may avoid the deadline only by making other arrangements with the city. The public works director administers enforcement, and Section 27.99 requires every city employee who learns of a violation to report it to that office. Willful noncompliance can lead the city to install a flow restrictor or discontinue water service after written notice under Section 27.100(b)(6), on top of the standard fine schedule. A property owner facing unique hardship may request a waiver in writing from the public works director, who must act within 10 days.