New Braunfels, TX Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Year-round deadline
- 72 hours after NBU notification
- Stage I/II deadline
- 48 hours after notification
- Stage III deadline
- 24 hours after notification
- Enforcer
- NBU conservation compliance officer (Sec. 130-219.5)
- Extension option
- Alternate timeline via conservation coordinator
- First-offense fine
- $100 to $500 (Sec. 130-219(c)(1))
Summary
New Braunfels ties how fast you must fix a leaking pipe or fixture to the city's drought stage. Sec. 130-228 requires repair within 72 hours of an NBU notification year-round, tightening to 48 hours during Stage I or II drought restrictions and 24 hours during Stage III, unless NBU's conservation coordinator agrees to other arrangements.
Leaks - Year Round: "Repair all water leaks within 72 hours of notification from NBU unless other arrangements are made with the conservation coordinator." Leaks - Stages I, II: "Repair all leaks within 48 hours of notification from NBU unless other arrangements are made with the conservation coordinator." Leaks - Stage III: "Repair all water leaks within 24 hours of notification from NBU unless other arrangements are made with the conservation coordinator."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 36).
Full Breakdown
New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) treats an unrepaired leak as water waste under Chapter 130's water conservation and drought management provisions, and Sec. 130-228's 'Leaks' entry sets a sliding deadline keyed to drought severity. Year round, regardless of drought stage, the rule requires repair of all water leaks within 72 hours of notification from NBU unless other arrangements are made with the conservation coordinator. Once the city declares Stage I or Stage II under its trigger levels in Sec. 130-224, that window shrinks: the code requires repair of all leaks within 48 hours of notification from NBU.
Under Stage III, the most severe declared condition short of additional mayoral measures under Sec. 130-226, the deadline compresses further to 24 hours from notification. In every case the fix is the same: contact NBU's conservation coordinator before the deadline if more time is needed, since the code only excuses a late repair when other arrangements are made with that office. NBU's conservation compliance officer, appointed under Sec. 5, is authorized to enter properties at reasonable times to inspect for leaks and other water-waste violations and to enforce this division.
A customer who disputes an assessed surcharge or citation tied to a leak may appeal first to the conservation coordinator and then to a three-member variance appeals panel of NBU customers under Sec. 4.
Violations & Fines
An unrepaired leak past the Sec. 130-228 deadline is enforced as water waste under Sec. 130-219: a first offense carries a fine of $100.00 to $500.00, a second $200.00 to $500.00, and a third or later offense $400.00 to $500.00, with sanitation-related violations fined up to $2,000.00. NBU may also assess punitive surcharges rising from a warning to $25.00, $250.00, then $500.00 for repeat violations in a 12-month period, and can discontinue water service for continued noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast do I have to fix a leak New Braunfels Utilities reports to me?
What if I can't finish repairs within the deadline?
What's the penalty for missing the leak-repair deadline?
Who inspects for leaks and enforces this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Braunfels
Texas rules heatmap·Compare New Braunfels to another location·View the Texas water use rules overview
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