Rio Rancho, NM Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- notice to repair given
- Duty
- repair within reasonable period
- Applies when
- shortage stage in effect
- Minimum fine
- $500 per day
- Repeat offense
- water service disconnection
Summary
Once Rio Rancho's water utility notifies a customer of a controllable leak, failing to fix it within a reasonable time counts as prohibited non-essential water use.
NON-ESSENTIAL WATER USE. Water uses that are not essential nor required for the protection of public, health, safety, and welfare, including:
(1) Irrigation of landscape areas, including parks, athletic fields, and golf courses, with potable water, except otherwise provided under this plan;
(2) Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle;
(3) Use of water to wash down any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced areas;
(4) Use of water to wash down residential buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection;
(5) Flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street;
(6) Use of water to fill, refill, or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pools or Jacuzzi-type pools;
(7) Use of water in a fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes except where necessary to support aquatic life;
(8) Failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice directing the repair of such leak(s); and
(9) Use of water from hydrants for construction purposes or any other purposes other than fire fighting. ODD NUMBERED ADDRESS. Street addresses ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9. SYSTEM CAPACITY. Shall include wells, pumps, tanks, pipelines, booster stations and other infrastructure used to deliver drinking water to customers. (Ord. 06-53)
Full Breakdown
Under the city's Water Shortage Emergency Response provisions, a customer who does not repair a controllable leak within a reasonable period after being given notice directing the repair is committing a non-essential water use, which is banned once a shortage stage is triggered by low system capacity. The same failure-to-repair language is repeated as a specific prohibited use under the Stage 1 mild-shortage restrictions. Separately, customers who prove a leak was promptly repaired can seek a bill adjustment under § 51.07.
Violations & Fines
A knowing violation of the water-shortage subchapter is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $500 per day under § 52.26(B); three or more citations can lead to water service disconnection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to report a leak to Rio Rancho Utilities?
Can I get a credit for a high water bill caused by a leak?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rio Rancho
Compare Rio Rancho to another location·View the New Mexico water use rules overview
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