Lacey, WA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Lacey Municipal Code § 13.48.050, Wasting water prohibited, is the leak rule for water customers in the City of Lacey, Thurston County, Washington. It makes it unlawful for any person to allow water to be wasted at any point beyond the curb-cock or meter by imperfect, faulty or leaking stop-cocks, valves, pipes, closets, faucets or other fixtures and appliances. Everything on the customer's side of the meter is the customer's to keep tight. The section speaks to repair, not to a reporting procedure: it prints no hotline, form or deadline for telling the city about a leak.

The same sentence lists related duties. A person cannot use water closets without self-closing valves, cannot allow any fixtures or appliances to run open for lack of repairs, and cannot permit freezing. It also bars using water for any purpose other than the one set forth in the application upon which charges for water are based, and using water in violation of the rules and regulations set forth in the chapter, Chapters 13.32 through 13.44 and 13.56.

Enforcement runs through Section 13.48.080, which says any person, firm, or corporation willfully violating any provision of Chapter 13.48, or of Chapters 13.32 through 13.44 and 13.56, is guilty of a misdemeanor. The word willfully matters there. Damage to the city's side of the system is covered separately: Section 13.48.030 makes it unlawful to willfully damage a fire hydrant, water meter, gate valve or water pipe, and to store goods, merchandise, material or rubbish within five feet of any water meter, curb-cock, gate valve or other appliance on a service connection or water main. Section 13.48.040 bars anyone other than an authorized city employee from breaking a meter seal or obstructing a meter.

Billing ties into leaks as well. Under Section 13.44.030 the City of Lacey bills monthly for water, sewer and storm and surface water utility charges. Billings for customers requiring meter reading can be based on estimated charges, with every second month based on actual readings and appropriate adjustments made. A delinquent account carries a 7.5 percent penalty, and water services to the premises are discontinued if payment of all delinquent charges and penalties is not received within nineteen days after the due date.

Reclaimed water customers in the City of Lacey are under a parallel waste rule in Section 13.64.110, which names leaking valves, pipes, closets, faucets or other fixtures.