Have you received a water bill that seems abnormally high? If you suspect your excessive water use may be the cause of a leaking pipe or plumbing fixture, you may qualify for the SFPUC leak allowance program.
To encourage customers to make repairs to leaking plumbing fixtures, SFPUC Customer Services will provide an allowance voucher/credit on high water bills. The leak allowance program is open to all SFPUC single-family residential, multifamily residential and non-residential accounts.
An allowance voucher is a credit applied to the customer’s bill. The amount of the allowance is equal to the amount over the account’s normal consumption, and depends on the type of leak that caused the high bill.
A leak allowance will be granted only when the problem is reported by the customer in a timely manner, evidence clearly shows that the high bill was caused by a leak, and repairs have been promptly made and reported to the SFPUC.
Leak allowance vouchers are reviewed and processed by the SFPUC High Consumption Unit. The High Consumption Unit is governed by the Rules and Regulations Governing Water Service to Customers, Section D, Rule 6.
To apply for a leak allowance credit, contact the High Consumption Unit at (415) 551-4780.
Rules and Regulations Governing Allowance Voucher/Credit
SECTION D, RULE 6
The customer has sole control of the water delivered beyond the SFPUC's meter and the SFPUC is not responsible for maintenance and the repairs of the pipes and fixtures beyond the meter. In order to encourage prompt repairs of leaking pipes or fixtures the SFPUC may, under certain conditions, grant allowances for apparently excessive bills resulting from leakage beyond the meter. All risk of loss beyond the point of delivery shall be borne by the customer, except as otherwise provided herein.
(a) Allowance may be granted only when claim has been received and evidence clearly shows that the apparently excessive bill is due to leaking pipes or fixtures and not wasteful use and then only when repairs have been promptly made and reported to the SFPUC. The allowance, if granted, will be for not more than two billing periods including that in which the claim was made.
(b) Allowance ordinarily may be granted on the basis of one-half of the excess delivery due to leakage but in the case of concealed leaks in underground or unexposed pipes, full excess may be allowed.
(c) Outside San Francisco no allowance will be made on account of leakage except when in the judgment of the SFPUC exceptional conditions justify allowance and then only for concealed leaks in underground or unexposed pipes. In the event, allowance may be granted based on from fifty to one hundred percent of the excess delivery. No allowance shall apply to customer taking water for resale.
The SFPUC shall be the sole judge in determining the excess delivery due to leakage.
