Pomona, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 62-354(e)
- Standard repair deadline
- 7 days after city notice
- Level 1 shortage deadline
- 72 hours (Sec. 62-355(b)(2))
- Level 2 shortage deadline
- 48 hours (Sec. 62-356(b)(2))
- Level 3 emergency deadline
- 24 hours (Sec. 62-357(b)(2))
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100
- Enforcement tool
- Service discontinuance for willful violators
Summary
Pomona treats an unrepaired water leak as unlawful waste. Once a customer knows, or should reasonably know, about a break, leak or plumbing malfunction, City Code Sec. 62-354(e) gives them at most seven days after city notice to fix it before the city can discontinue service to willful violators.
Obligation to fix leaks, breaks or malfunctions. Excessive use, loss or escape of water through breaks, leaks or other malfunctions in the water user's plumbing or distribution system for any period of time after such escape of water should have reasonably been discovered and corrected and in no event more than seven days of receiving notice from the city, is prohibited. The city, in its sole discretion, may discontinue service to consumers who willfully violate provisions of this subsection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 62-354 lists Pomona's permanent water conservation requirements, in effect at all times regardless of any declared shortage, and states upfront that violating the section is treated as waste and an unreasonable use of water. Subsection (e), "Obligation to fix leaks, breaks or malfunctions," prohibits excessive use, loss or escape of water through breaks, leaks or other malfunctions in a customer's plumbing or distribution system for any period after the leak should reasonably have been discovered and corrected, and sets an outer limit of seven days from the city's notice.
The city may, in its sole discretion, discontinue water service to a customer who willfully violates the subsection. The duty tightens once the city formally declares a water supply shortage: under a Level 1 shortage the repair window drops to 72 hours from notification (Sec. 62-355(b)(2)), under Level 2 it drops to 48 hours (Sec. 62-356(b)(2)), and under a Level 3 emergency shortage it drops to 24 hours (Sec. 62-357(b)(2)), unless other arrangements are made with the city. The city manager or designee administers the notice-and-cure process, and Sec.
62-361(f) requires the city to mail or personally deliver a notice of violation describing the problem and the cure deadline at least ten days before taking enforcement action, with a right to appeal under Sec. 2-1188 et seq.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 62-361 sets escalating fines for any violation of the conservation division, including an unrepaired leak: up to $100 for a first violation, up to $200 for a second violation of the same provision within a year, and up to $500 for each further violation within that year. The city may also install a flow-restrictor device (about one gallon per minute) after 48 hours' written notice, or disconnect and terminate service outright; a violation may alternatively be prosecuted as a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in county jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to fix a water leak in Pomona?
Does the repair deadline shrink during a drought in Pomona?
What happens if I ignore a leak notice from the city?
Can I appeal a Pomona leak-repair violation notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pomona
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