Mebane, NC Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

In the City of Mebane, North Carolina, the duty to fix a leaking pipe or fixture falls on the property owner, not the city. Section 36-34 of the Code of Ordinances, part of the water system article, requires a stopcock near the sidewalk or property line for controlling service, states that the city cares for the pipe and connections in the street at no expense to the owner, and then draws the line: "All fixtures within the premises must be kept in repair by the property owner." That duty connects directly to Mebane's water shortage response plan.

Section 36-62 defines "waste of water" to include, among other things, "permitting water to escape down a gutter, ditch, or other surface drain" and "failure to repair a controllable leak of water due to defective plumbing," meaning an unrepaired leak is treated as unlawful waste once any shortage stage under Section 36-65 is declared by the city manager. Under Section 36-69, the city can impose an excess user charge of $100.00 per event for violations of the water chapter, but the first violation only draws a warning citation and is not billed the fee.

Enforcement runs through city personnel and local law enforcement per Section 36-68, and customers can report suspected leaks or violations to the city's phone line or City Hall. Because Mebane straddles Alamance and Orange counties, the water rules that reach a customer's plumbing are set entirely by the city's own utilities department under this chapter, not by either county; a resident with a dripping outdoor spigot or a broken supply line inside the home is responsible for the repair regardless of which county side of the service area the property sits on.