Santa Ana, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 39-21(e), § 39-23(d)
- Leak repair duty
- Customer repairs leaks past the meter, own expense
- Bill credit
- None for water lost past the meter
- Meter test fee
- Waived if meter reads ≤2% fast
- Overcharge refund cap
- Up to 6 months of corrected readings
- Undercharge back-bill cap
- Up to 4 months, seasonally adjusted
Summary
Once city water crosses the meter, Santa Ana Municipal Code § 39-21 puts every pipe, fixture, and leak on the customer's side back on the customer: they must keep those facilities in good order and pay to locate and repair leaks themselves, and the city won't credit a bill for water lost past the meter.
Customers are required to keep their plumbing pipes, service pipes, and all facilities on the customer's side of the meter in good order and are required, at their own expense, to locate and repair any leaks. It is not the city's responsibility to locate or repair any water facility on the customer's side of the meter. No allowance will be made on a customer's bill for loss of water, once the water is delivered to the customer's side of the water meter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 39, Article II of the Municipal Code splits leak responsibility right at the water meter. Section 39-21(e) requires every customer to keep the plumbing, service pipes, and other facilities on their side of the meter in good order and to locate and repair any leak at their own expense; the city has no duty to find or fix a leak past the meter, and no bill credit is issued for water lost once it reaches the customer's side. Section 39-23(d) reinforces the same duty citywide, making customers liable for waste and for any damage that results from failing to keep their pipes, fixtures, and apparatus in good repair and free from leakage or backflow.
A customer who suspects the city's own meter, not their plumbing, is at fault can request a meter test from the water agency for a fee under § 39-21(a); the fee is waived if the meter is found to be no more than 2 percent fast. If a test shows the meter registered more than 2 percent fast, the city refunds the overcharge based on corrected readings, capped at six months of usage. If a meter two inches or smaller is found registering more than 25 percent slow, or a meter three inches or larger is found registering more than 5 percent slow, the city may back-bill the customer for the undercharge, seasonally adjusted, for up to four months.
Violations & Fines
The code doesn't set a separate fine schedule for a slow leak repair; instead § 39-21(e) and § 39-23(d) make the customer financially responsible: for locating and fixing any leak past the meter at their own cost, for water lost through it, and for any property damage the unrepaired leak causes. The city can also disconnect service if related account or repair obligations under Chapter 39 go unmet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays to fix a water leak on my property in Santa Ana?
Can I get my Santa Ana water meter tested if I think it's overcharging me?
What if my Santa Ana water meter is running slow?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
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