Ventura, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 22.170.010(A)(2)
- Repair window
- 48 hours from discovery or notice
- 1st violation
- Written notice
- 2nd violation
- $25 or 100% of bill, lesser
- 3rd violation
- $50 or 50% of bill, greater
- 4th violation
- Flow restrictor installed
Summary
San Buenaventura Municipal Code Section 22.170.010 bans wasting water through an uncorrected leak, break or plumbing malfunction, and presumes a customer has 48 hours to fix it, counted from discovery or from the city's notice, whichever comes first. Ventura Water enforces the standing rule with an escalating civil-penalty schedule.
22.170.010 Water waste prohibited. A. ... Prohibited Uses. No person shall use or permit the use of water: ... 2. ... Such that the escape of water through leaks, breaks or malfunction within the water user’s plumbing or distribution system occurs for any period of time beyond which such break or leak should reasonably have been discovered and corrected. It shall be presumed that a period of 48 hours after the water user discovers such leak, break or malfunction, or receives notice from the city of such condition, whichever occurs first, is a reasonable time within which to correct such condition;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
170, Water Conservation, adopted by Ordinance No. 010(A), including watering that runs to waste, hosing hard surfaces, and running unrecirculated fountains. The leak duty sits at subsection (A)(2): the escape of water through a leak, break or malfunction in a customer's plumbing or distribution system is unlawful once it continues beyond the time it reasonably should have been discovered and corrected, and the code sets that reasonable window at 48 hours after the water user discovers the problem or receives notice from the city, whichever happens first.
171, which separately lists an uncorrected leaking fixture as an act of water waste during a declared shortage event. 170 violation, including an unrepaired leak: a written notice for a first violation; a surcharge equal to the lesser of 100 percent of the most recent water bill (excluding sewer) or $25 for a second violation; 50 percent of the bill or $50, whichever is greater, for a third; installation of a flow-restricting device of one gallon-per-minute capacity, at the customer's cost, for a fourth violation within 12 months; and possible discontinuance of water service for a fifth or later violation. Customers can request a hearing before the Ventura Water general manager and appeal that decision to the city manager within 15 days.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 22.170.010(B), a first uncorrected-leak violation draws a written notice; a second draws a surcharge of the lesser of 100 percent of the last bill or $25; a third draws 50 percent of the bill or $50, whichever is greater; a fourth triggers installation of a flow restrictor at the customer's expense; and a fifth or later violation can lead to water service being discontinued.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to fix a water leak in Ventura before it's a violation?
What penalty applies for an uncorrected leak?
Can I appeal a leak-related water waste citation in Ventura?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
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Leak Reporting Duty in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle leak reporting duty.