Sherman, TX Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Section 13.02.032 of the Sherman Code of Ordinances describes how the City of Sherman, Texas finds and fixes leaks in its water system, as part of the water conservation plan adopted by Ordinance 6714 on 5/6/2024. City staff conduct periodic visual inspections along distribution lines to determine if leakage is present, and maintenance crews and personnel look for and report evidence of leaks. Meters are read and quantities recorded once per month, and the city audits its water use monthly by comparing pumping records to the amount of water sold.

When leaks are reported, they are repaired and recorded on a master distribution map. The regular leak detection program was first initiated in 1980, with additional surveys every year. Staff then record and prioritize the lines with the worst leak record and include them in a capital improvements program, and each year several line replacement projects are authorized based on the lines with the most leaks reported during the previous year. Meters installed by the city are required to be within plus or minus 5.0% of accuracy.

The duty to repair reaches customers once drought stages begin. Section 13.02.079 lists failure to repair a controllable leak within a reasonable period after having been given notice directing the repair as a prohibited non-essential use under Stage 2. Section 13.02.082 sets the penalty, and an employee of the city, a police officer, or another city employee the mayor designates can issue the citation. Bill relief is narrow: under § 13.07.072 a consumer can request a meter accuracy test through the utility billing office, no allowance is made for leakage from any fixture or pipes above ground, and an allowance for underground pipe leakage cannot exceed fifty (50) percent of the leakage.