Stockton, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Leak repair window
- 24 hours from discovery or notice
- Applies to
- All water users in City, contract or not
- Base season
- May 1-November 1 under § 13.28.030.B
- Carries into winter
- Via § 13.28.040 cross-reference
- Second violation notice
- $100/day surcharge on water bill
- Penalty class
- Infraction, separate offense each day
Summary
Stockton gives water users a 24-hour clock to fix a leak once they know about it. Municipal Code § 13.28.030.B.3 treats letting water escape through an unrepaired leak, break, or malfunction as an unlawful use once that 24-hour presumed correction period has passed.
To allow the escape of water through leaks, breaks, or malfunction within the water user's plumbing or distribution system for any period of time within which such break or leak should reasonably have been discovered and corrected. It shall be presumed that a period of 24 hours after the water user discovers such break, leak, or malfunction, or receives notice from the City, any water provider or enforcement authority of such condition, whichever occurs first, is a reasonable time within which to correct such condition or to make arrangements for correction.
Full Breakdown
3 makes it unlawful "to allow the escape of water through leaks, breaks, or malfunction within the water user's plumbing or distribution system for any period of time within which such break or leak should reasonably have been discovered and corrected," and sets a presumption that 24 hours after the water user discovers the problem, or receives notice of it from the City, a water provider, or an enforcement authority, whichever comes first, is a reasonable time to fix it or arrange for repair. 030 prohibitions, leaks included, through the November 1-April 30 off-season, lifting only the hourly irrigation restriction, so the duty to fix a discovered leak effectively runs year-round.
020 makes the chapter apply to "all persons using water in the City," regardless of whether they have a City water service contract, so the leak-repair duty reaches customers of other water providers within city limits as well as City water customers. 6, which the section adopts by reference.
Violations & Fines
Once the 24-hour presumed window passes, the City serves a written notice describing the violation (§ 13.28.050.A); a second notice adds a $100-per-day surcharge to the water bill until the leak is corrected (§ 13.28.050.D). The Director may issue a cease-and-desist order and, after a hearing on 10 days' notice, discontinue water service (§§ 13.28.060-13.28.070). The violation is an infraction, with each day a separate offense (§ 13.28.090), appealable to the City Manager within 10 days (§ 13.28.080).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to fix a leak in Stockton before it's a violation?
Does the 24-hour leak rule apply in winter too?
What happens if I don't fix a leak in time?
Can I appeal a leak violation notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
California rules heatmap·Compare Stockton to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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Leak Reporting Duty in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle leak reporting duty.