Westminster, CA Water Use Rules: Leak Reporting Duty (2026)
Key Facts
- Baseline repair deadline (normal times)
- 7 days after city notice
- Level 1 shortage deadline
- 4 days after notice
- Level 2a/2b shortage deadline
- 72 hours after notice
- Level 3 emergency deadline
- 48 hours after notice
- Notice before enforcement action
- at least 10 days
- Repeat-violation fine cap
- up to $250
Summary
Westminster Code § 13.14.050(F) bars letting a plumbing leak, break, or malfunction waste water past the point it should reasonably have been caught, and in no case beyond seven days after the city gives notice. During a declared water shortage that repair window shrinks to as little as 48 hours.
Obligation to Fix Leaks, Breaks or Malfunctions. Excessive use, loss or escape of water through breaks, leaks or other malfunctions in the water user's plumbing or distribution system for any period of time after such escape of water should have reasonably been discovered and corrected, and in no event, more than seven days of receiving notice from the city, is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4982734; v10 updated 2026-06-10).
Full Breakdown
14, prohibits 'excessive use, loss or escape of water through breaks, leaks or other malfunctions in the water user's plumbing or distribution system' for any period after the escape should reasonably have been discovered and corrected, and in no event more than seven days after the city gives notice. That seven-day baseline is not the only deadline: once the city council declares a water supply shortage, the repair window tightens under the escalating-response sections of the same chapter. 070(B) cuts the window to four days from notification.
090(B) cuts it to seventy-two hours. 030 lets the city discontinue service to a premises that fails to maintain plumbing 'to prevent the wasting of water,' five days after written notice. 170 requires at least ten days' notice before enforcement action and gives the customer the right to appeal in writing before the deadline.
Violations & Fines
A leak left unrepaired past the applicable deadline is treated as water waste under § 13.14.050 and draws the same penalty ladder as any other conservation violation: notice only for the first two offenses in twelve months, then fines up to $50, $150, and $250 for the third through fifth-plus offense under § 13.14.140. The city may also install a flow-restrictor device after 48 hours' notice or disconnect service for willful noncompliance, and § 13.14.180 allows misdemeanor prosecution punishable by up to $1,000 or 30 days in county jail. Each day of an unrepaired leak is a separate offense under § 13.14.160.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to fix a water leak in Westminster?
What counts as a leak violation under Westminster's water code?
Can Westminster shut off my water over an unfixed leak?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
California rules heatmap·Compare Westminster to another location·View the California water use rules overview
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