Sunnyvale, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Broken/defective plumbing or sprinklers leaking potable water
- Citation
- SMC § 12.34.020(a)(1)
- Enforcement agency
- Director of Environmental Services
- First-offense penalty
- Cease-and-desist order, then flow restrictor 3-10 days
- Device fee
- $50 to install, $50 to remove
- Habitual violator cap
- Restrictor may stay up to 3 months
Summary
Sunnyvale outlaws letting broken or defective plumbing, sprinklers or irrigation systems leak potable water under Municipal Code Section 12.34.020(a)(1). The Director of Environmental Services enforces the ban citywide, and repeat offenders face a mandatory flow-restricting device installed on their water service line rather than just a warning.
(a) To prevent the waste and unreasonable use of water and to promote water conservation, the following actions are hereby prohibited, except where necessary to address an immediate health or safety need or to comply with a term or condition in a permit issued by a state or federal agency: (1) The use of broken or defective plumbing, sprinklers, watering or irrigation systems that permit the escape or leakage of potable water.
Full Breakdown
010). The only exceptions are an immediate health or safety need or compliance with a state or federal permit condition. 040: on finding a continuous or repeated leak violation, the Director first issues a cease-and-desist order requiring the leak to be fixed. If the user again lets water escape after that order, the Director may order a flow-restricting device installed on the water service line, in place for not less than three nor more than ten days for a first violation and at least ten days for each later violation, up to three months for habitual leakers.
Before installing the device, the city must give written notice specifying the date, time and place the user can appear to contest it, and the device cannot go in until at least 24 hours after that specified time. Notice goes by mail or personal delivery to the user, the property owner of record with the county assessor, and whoever is billed for the utility account. 040(c)).
Violations & Fines
A first leak violation draws a cease-and-desist order from the Director of Environmental Services demanding repair. If leakage continues after that order, the Director installs a flow-restricting device for 3 to 10 days on a first offense, at least 10 days per repeat offense, and up to three months for habitual violators, plus $50 install and $50 removal charges under Section 12.34.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a leaking sprinkler head illegal in Sunnyvale?
What happens the first time the city catches a leak on my property?
Can the city really restrict my water flow over a leak?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sunnyvale
California rules heatmap·Compare Sunnyvale to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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Leak Reporting Duty in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle leak reporting duty.