Memphis, TN Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Memphis Code § 9-8-19
- Applies to
- Water lines, fixtures, vents, drains, sewer lines
- Standard
- Kept free of leaks and defects at all times
- Repair standard
- Per city/county building or plumbing code
- Related enforcement
- § 9-8-21 nuisance abatement notice
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 3436, § 1(6), Feb. 19, 1985
Summary
Memphis Code § 9-8-19 requires every occupied building's water lines, fixtures, vents, drains and sewer lines to be kept free of leaks and defects at all times, with repairs made to the city and county plumbing code.
A. In buildings and structures used for human occupancy, water lines, plumbing fixtures, vents and drains shall be properly installed, connected and maintained in working order and shall be kept free of obstructions, leaks, and defects and shall be capable of performing the function for which they are designed. All repairs and installations shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the building code or plumbing code of the city and county. B. In buildings and structures used for human occupancy, every plumbing stack, waste and sewer line shall be so installed and maintained as to function properly and shall be kept free from obstructions, leaks, outcroppings and defects to prevent health hazards.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32 | Charter: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-8-19, in the Health and Safety Regulations Generally chapter, imposes an ongoing maintenance duty rather than a one-time installation standard. Subsection A covers water lines, plumbing fixtures, vents and drains in any building or structure used for human occupancy: they must be properly installed, connected and maintained in working order, kept free of obstructions, leaks and defects, and capable of performing their designed function, with any repair or installation done under the city and county building or plumbing code. ' The code does not carve out a separate notice-to-the-water-department step; the duty falls on whoever controls the building (owner or occupant) to find and fix leaks continuously, and the surrounding Title 9 nuisance provision (§ 9-8-21) lets the health department serve written abatement notice on an owner, occupant or agent whenever a leak or plumbing defect rises to a public-health nuisance, with the department empowered to abate it directly and bill the responsible party if the notice is ignored.
Section 9-8-19 traces to Code 1985, § 16-33 and Ord. No. 3436, § 1(6), adopted February 19, 1985, sitting alongside the fluoridation (§ 9-8-18) and unmarked-hole (§ 9-8-20) provisions in the same chapter of Title 9.
Violations & Fines
Unrepaired leaks or plumbing defects that create a health hazard expose the owner, occupant or agent to a written abatement notice from the health department under § 9-8-21; failure to comply within the time specified is a misdemeanor, with each day of continued violation a separate offense, and the department can abate the condition itself and bill the cost to the responsible party.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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