Tonawanda, NY Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Chapter 212, Water, adopted May 11, 1981 by L.L. No. 2-1981, places responsibility for the water service connection squarely on the property owner. Section 212-13 makes the owner responsible for maintaining and repairing the service connection and all distribution lines and apparatus beyond the meter, and liable for any loss or expense from its malfunction or improper installation. Section 212-14 specifically addresses leaks: when a leak occurs in a service pipe at any point beyond the main, including the ferrule or tap, the owner or an authorized agent must repair it.

If the owner does not fix the leak within 24 hours after the Town gives notice of it, the Town shuts off water service to the premises until the leak is repaired. If the Town ends up making the repair itself, the expense is charged to the owner and collected with the next water bill, and failing to pay that charge is treated the same as failing to pay ordinary water-use charges. Section 212-35 offers some relief for the resulting bill: the Water Office may, at its sole discretion, grant an allowance for an excessive bill caused by leakage beyond the meter, capped at one-half of the excess usage above normal for the billing period, with the Town alone judging the amount of the excess. General violations of Chapter 212 fall under Section 212-44, which sets fines and imprisonment for infractions not otherwise specifically punished in the chapter.