West Covina, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- MWD-declared 10% or less shortage
- Duty
- Repair leaks in all plumbing fixtures promptly
- Enforcer
- Public Works Division Manager
- 1st violation
- Written warning only
- 2nd violation
- 50% water bill surcharge
- 3rd+ violation
- Flow restrictor for 48+ hours
- Also charged as
- Misdemeanor under Water Code § 377
Summary
West Covina Municipal Code Sec. 23-323(b)(5) requires every water user to promptly repair leaks in indoor and outdoor plumbing fixtures once the City Council declares a Phase I water shortage. The Public Works Division Manager enforces the duty alongside seven other Phase I restrictions covering hose washing, vehicle washing, fountains, and lawn watering, with escalating penalties for noncompliance.
(a)A Phase I shortage shall be declared when the city is advised by Metropolitan Water District in writing that a ten (10) percent or less shortage in water supplies delivered to the water purveyor will occur.(b)The following restrictions on the use of water by water users shall be in effect during a Phase I shortage:...(5)All water users shall promptly repair all leaks from indoor and outdoor plumbing fixtures.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94).
Full Breakdown
West Covina activates its leak-repair mandate only after the City Council holds a public hearing and declares a water shortage under Article VII of Chapter 23. A Phase I shortage is triggered when the Metropolitan Water District notifies the city in writing that supplies will fall short by ten percent or less (Sec. 23-323(a)). Once that resolution is published in a newspaper of general circulation, Sec. m. " Hotels, motels, and short-term lodging operators face an added duty under Sec. 23-323(b)(8) to post shortage notices for guests.
The Public Works Division Manager administers compliance and may grant relief from curtailment provisions under Sec. 23-326 for hardships such as new household members or added landscaped area, but relief does not excuse the leak-repair requirement itself, which carries no listed exemption in the article.
Violations & Fines
Violating Sec. 23-323(b), including the leak-repair clause, triggers Sec. 23-327's three-tier penalty: a written warning for a first offense, a surcharge equal to fifty percent of the water bill for a second offense, and installation of a one-gallon-per-minute flow restrictor for at least forty-eight hours for a third or subsequent offense within the same shortage emergency. Sec. 23-327(d) also makes every violation a misdemeanor under Water Code Section 377, and customers may request a hearing before the Public Works Division Manager within ten days of a notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does West Covina always require leak repairs?
What counts as a leak under the ordinance?
What happens if I ignore a leak-repair notice?
Can I appeal a leak-violation penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Covina
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