Trenton, NJ Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)

Under Trenton Code § 309-3, every person supplied with water from a City main is personally responsible for keeping service pipes and fixtures in good order and repair, and protected from frost, entirely at the owner's own expense. That baseline duty is enforced through the repair mechanics spelled out in subsection L: once the Division of Water and Sewer (within the Department of Public Works) is notified of, or itself discovers, a street leak in a supply or service pipe or stop cock, the Division is required to open the street, shut off the water, and then repair the pipe, including taking up and replacing pavement where necessary, as promptly as practicable.

All of that repair expense is charged and collected from the owner of the served premises. If the cost can be computed immediately, a bill goes to the owner and the water stays off until the bill is paid in full; if the Division decides conditions require restoring supply right away, it can turn the water back on, but the expense bill still must be paid without delay or the water will be shut off again. Section 309-3H puts supply and service pipes between the main and the curb under the exclusive control of the Division: no one but authorized Division employees may repair or interfere with them without a Division order. A. 40:62-141.