Who fixes a broken water line in Chandler, the property owner or the city?

Section 52-11 has three parts. Part A is the quote above and finishes with "or, if unmetered, to the public source of supply." Part B puts private fire lines on the owner as well: the owner "shall be responsible for the maintenance and testing of private fire lines in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Code as adopted by the City." Part C is the enforcement: failure to "properly maintain domestic service or fire lines after receipt of written notice from the Water Division or Fire Department shall be cause for discontinuance of affected water service." Before that happens, the resident must receive written notice of the violation and be advised in writing of a chance to meet with city staff and object.

The city's side is on its Water Services FAQ page: "All plumbing fixtures after the city's meter are the responsibility of the homeowner. Plumbing fixtures up to and including the meter are repaired and maintained by the City of Chandler."

• Service line: Chandler's 52-1 defines it as a pipe carrying water from the public waterline to a water meter or other point of distribution.
• Private fire line: a private waterline located primarily on private property and used exclusively to supply fixed fire protection systems (52-1).
• Water service connection: where the city loses jurisdiction and sanitary control over the water. If a meter is installed at the end of the service connection, 52-1 says the connection is the downstream end of the meter.
• Owner: the code says "property owner." A lease can move the cost between landlord and tenant, but the city's rule runs to the owner.

It covers any property on Chandler city water, residential or commercial, and the owner of a private fire line. It does not make the owner responsible for the city's mains or the meter. Fire lines also have their own meter rule: 52-3 says a water meter "shall not be required on private fire lines having no hydrants or are not capable of discharging water without sounding an alarm."

A yard leak at a retail center. A wet spot appears between the meter and the building. The line is the owner's to repair under 52-11(A), whoever the tenant is.

A leaking meter box. The leak is at the meter itself. Per the city's FAQ, the city repairs and maintains plumbing up to and including the meter, so the owner calls Water Distribution at 480-782-3700 rather than hiring a repair.

A private fire line with a failed test. The owner maintains and tests the line under 52-11(B). If the Water Division or Fire Department sends written notice and the line is still not maintained, the affected water service can be discontinued after the notice and meeting opportunity.

The edge case: reclaimed-water homes and the backflow assembly after the meter. The 52-1 definition of water service connection ends with a clause that is tied to reclaimed water. The sentence reads: "However, except in the case where residential homes incorporate the use of reclaimed wastewater as a water conservation measure, the service connection shall be at the pipe union located beyond the approved backflow prevention device." It continues: "There shall be no connections made upstream of the pipe union. The City system shall include all piping between the water meter and the pipe union, including the backflow prevention device." The wording of the exception is awkward, so any reading of where the pipe-union line applies is a reading. What 52-34.3 says is definite. Its text: "In the case where residential homes incorporate the use of reclaimed wastewater as a water conservation measure, a backflow prevention device shall be installed by the City at the homebuilder's expense at the time of water meter installation." It goes on: "The device shall be installed in City right-of-way at the downstream side of the City water meter. The device shall be tested and maintained by the City." For other services, 52-34.2 has the customer install, operate, test and maintain a required device, and 52-36(G) puts annual testing and repairs on the customer. The code does not say who repairs the pipe between the meter and a customer-installed assembly, which is why step 5 below tells you to ask.

1. 1Find the meter and decide which side of it the leak is on. Our meter leak test FAQ shows how to check.
2. 2If the leak is at or before the meter, call Water Distribution at 480-782-3700.
3. 3If it is after the meter, the repair is the owner's. Confirm in your lease who bills whom.
4. 4For a fire line, keep the test and maintenance records and answer any written notice from the Water Division or Fire Department promptly.
5. 5If a customer-installed assembly sits between the meter and the building, ask the city where its responsibility ends before you dig. On a reclaimed-water home, the city device is the city's to test and maintain under 52-34.3.

• Myth: The city fixes everything outside the building. The owner's duty runs from the building to the meter.
• Myth: Fire lines belong to the fire department. Under 52-11(B), the property owner maintains and tests them.
• Myth: A notice means water is cut off at once. The code requires written notice and a chance to meet before discontinuance.
• Myth: The rule is only for houses. The section says "property owner," and the FAQ speaks of "the homeowner." The text names no commercial exemption.

This page explains the code. The adopted text on Municode governs.