Madera, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Repair duty
- Owner must keep fixtures leak-free
- Repair notice
- 5 days for faulty-equipment leaks
- Cost
- Owner pays for diagnosis and repair
- Consequence
- Water waste violation if unrepaired
- Cooling equipment
- Must reuse water, not discharge to sewer
Summary
Madera property owners must keep all pipes, faucets, and fixtures leak-free and repair any unidentified water discharge at their own cost, under Madera Municipal Code § 5-5.10. Leaks caused by faulty equipment get a five-day repair notice under § 5-5.09 before the city issues a water waste violation.
(B) Individuals wasting water due to damaged or faulty mechanical equipment may be given a five- day notice to make the necessary repairs. Failure to remedy a leak within the allotted time will result in the issuance of a water waste violation. ... Each consumer of water shall keep all connections, faucets, hydrants, pipes, outlets, and plumbing fixtures tight and free from leaking, dripping, or wasting water. Any property with water service from the city system that has an unidentified discharge of water shall be repaired so as to discontinue the uncontrolled discharge. Costs for identifying the location of the discharge and making repairs or modifications shall be the sole financial responsibility of the property owner.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-50: Current through Ordinance 1010 C.S., passed 6-5-24).
Full Breakdown
Madera Municipal Code § 5-5.10 puts the repair duty squarely on the customer: every water user must keep connections, faucets, hydrants, pipes, outlets, and plumbing fixtures tight and free from leaking, dripping, or wasting water. If a property served by the city's water system has an unidentified discharge, the owner must have it found and fixed to stop the uncontrolled flow, and pays for both the diagnosis and the repair out of pocket; the city does not subsidize either step.
Section 5-5.09 covers the specific case of leaks caused by damaged or faulty mechanical equipment, most often air-conditioning systems that use city water for cooling. An owner in that situation gets a five-day written notice to make the repair. If the leak is not fixed inside that window, the city issues a water waste violation. Air-conditioning and similar cooling equipment connected to city water must also carry water-saving devices, such as evaporative condensers, cooling towers, spray ponds, or drain wells, and a pump adequate to keep reusing the water rather than sending it into the city sewer system; equipment that fails that standard is a violation independent of any active leak.
Violations & Fines
An unrepaired leak or unidentified discharge is enforced as a water waste violation. Where the leak traces to faulty mechanical equipment, the city gives a five-day written notice to fix it under § 5-5.09; missing that deadline converts the leak into a citable water waste violation, and the property owner bears the full cost of locating and repairing the source under § 5-5.10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays to find and fix a water leak in Madera?
How long do I have to fix a leaking air conditioner or similar equipment?
Does Madera require water-saving equipment on cooling systems?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera
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