West Palm Beach, FL Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 90-12
- Repair deadline
- 7 days from discovering or notice of leak
- Adjustment filing window
- 30 days from the contested bill
- Credit amount
- 100% of usage above 4-12 month average
- Frequency limit
- One adjustment per 36-month period
- Final authority
- Public utilities director; decision not appealable
Summary
West Palm Beach requires any water customer who suspects a leak on their side of the meter to hire a certified plumber and get it inspected and fixed within seven days, or lose the right to a bill credit. City Code § 90-12 sets the repair deadline and the leak-adjustment process with public utilities.
(a)Duty to inspect and repair. Any user or customer who believes that there is a leak or the water facilities serving his account on the user's side of the meter are in need of repair shall be required to obtain the services of a certified plumber to inspect and repair the leak or problem, if necessary. The inspection and/or repair shall occur within seven days of discovering or receiving notice of a leak or need for repair. Failure to make needed repairs in a timely manner will void any request for a billing adjustment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 76).
Full Breakdown
" Missing that seven-day window voids any right to a billing adjustment. To actually get an adjustment, subsection (b) requires the customer to submit the contested bill, the certified plumber's repair invoice, and a leak adjustment form to the public utilities customer service division within 30 days of the disputed bill; the city may also send someone to inspect the property. If the city confirms the leak was on the customer's side and wasn't caused by the customer's own act or omission, and repairs were made within the seven-day window, subsection (c) allows a credit of 100 percent of the water and sewer usage above the customer's average bill, based on a four- to twelve-month average, for one billing cycle only, and no more than once every 36 months.
A separate meter-inaccuracy adjustment under subsection (d) recalculates a bill on the same averaging method if a meter itself is found faulty through no fault of the customer. "
Violations & Fines
Missing the seven-day repair deadline in § 90-12(a) doesn't trigger a fine, but it forfeits any billing credit for the leak, leaving the customer responsible for the full usage charge. Failing to pay the resulting bill can lead to service discontinuation after 30 days delinquent and a lien on the property under § 90-10, and unresolved access disputes over reading or repairing a meter can draw an administrative access fee under § 90-34.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast do I need to fix a water leak in West Palm Beach?
How do I get credit on my bill for a leak?
Can I appeal if the city denies my leak adjustment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Palm Beach
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Leak Reporting Duty in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle leak reporting duty.