Huntsville, AL Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Code section
- Sec. 26-632
- Hidden leak billing
- 3-month average + excess charge
- Known/visible leak billing
- Full metered amount, no credit
- Applies to
- Meter box, underground, and fixture leaks
Summary
Huntsville bills full metered usage for any water leak a customer knew about, saw, or heard, cutting off the averaged-bill credit that applies to hidden leaks.
If any leak or waste is found on private property underground where such leak or waste is not plainly visible, a bill or charge for the then current month shall be rendered to the customer at such place or the owner of the property, equal to the average bill for the past three preceding months, and there shall be added to the average bill, based on the past three preceding months' consumption, a charge at the then current residential-inside city limits-first 3,000 gallons rate schedule as set forth in Ordinance No. 12-1019 adopted on December 20, 2012 used over and above the averaged amount for the past three preceding months; provided, further however, that if such leak or waste shall occur in any water fixture or if it shall be otherwise visible or audible or known to the consumer, a bill or charge for the full amount of water used as shown by the meter reading shall be rendered against such customer and no allowance or credit thereon shall be made. The rates and charges as set forth in this amendment shall become effective on date of adoption of this ordinance.
(Ord. No. 13-249, 4-25-2013)
Editor's note— Ord. No. 13-249, adopted Apr. 25, 2013, repealed former § 26-632, and enacted a new section as set out herein. The former section pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Code 1982, § 23-122; Ord. No. 84-713, 11-20-1984; Ord. No. 95-305, 5-11-1995.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 26-632, a leak or waste at the water meter box caused by defective city plumbing gets billed at the average of the prior three months. A leak on private underground property that isn't plainly visible gets the same three-month average plus a per-1,000-gallon charge for the excess. But if the leak is in a fixture, or is otherwise visible, audible, or known to the consumer, the city bills the full metered amount with no credit or allowance. The practical effect is a duty to report and fix a known leak quickly, since silence past the point of discovery removes any billing relief.
Violations & Fines
No separate fine; the exposure is financial. Once a leak is visible, audible, or known to the customer, the city bills 100% of metered consumption for the period with zero averaging credit or adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Huntsville forgive my bill for a leak I didn't know about?
What if I hear or see the leak and don't fix it right away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
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