Active Alerts

If you are experiencing a water, power, or sewer emergency or service problem call our 24-hour hotline at 3-1-1 or (415) 701-2311 from outside SF or log on at sf311.org. Learn more or review active service alerts.

Leak Alerts: Find and Fix Leaks

Image of grey faucet with a drop of water hanging out.

Leaks are common and can happen to anyone at any time. The SFPUC’s courtesy Leak Alert Program reviews hourly water use for all meters that transmit data to us electronically. If we detect continuous hourly water use at small properties and continuous night-time use as well as higher than average use at large properties, we will notify the water account holder, property owner and occupant (if not one and the same) by email, text, phone call or mailed letter, depending on the contact information we have in our billing system. We will send up to three rounds of alerts over 10 weeks while the problematic water use continues.

You do not need to contact the SFPUC if you receive a leak alert unless you want to opt out of receiving future leak notices or have questions not addressed on these web pages. For questions, email or call SFPUC Water Conservation at waterconservation@sfwater.org or 415-551-4730.

When does SFPUC issue a leak alert?

Small Residential & Irrigation Accounts: We issue alerts after 48 hours of continuous water use of 7.5 gallons an hour or more. However, for multi-family properties with four to five dwelling units, we also look for a 50% or more increase in average daily use for the past 90 days before issuing an alert.

  • Single-family homes and small multi-family properties under 5 dwelling units generally have periods, often when occupants are sleeping, when water fixtures and irrigation systems are not running. At these times, no water use should occur. Continuous use over 24 hours or longer may mean you have a leak, or a tap, hose bib, or valve was accidentally left on.
  • Healthy landscapes typically require intermittent watering. When irrigation accounts register continuous consumption for more than 24 hours, this may indicate a leak.

Commercial and Large Multi-Family Properties: Periods of nonstop water usage may reflect normal operations for some commercial and large residential properties (over five dwelling units). We issue alerts upon detection of constant use and spikes in nighttime use higher than nightly average use. This may indicate leaks or problematic use. Our alerts are triggered by two patterns of overnight water use:

  • For properties with periodic overnight use that are characterized by at least one hour of no use between 1 AM to 4 AM when averaged over the last 90 days, we issue alerts when water use during that period exceeds the 90-day average by 100% (2 times).
  • For properties with regular overnight use that are characterized by less than one hour of no use between 1-4AM when averaged over the last 90 days, we issue alerts when water use during that period exceeds the 90-day average by 300% (4 times).

Why doesn’t the SFPUC send leak alerts sooner?

The SFPUC provides leak alerts as a courtesy program for over 170,000 meters serving 165,000-plus customers of all types and sizes. We set alert thresholds specialized for different to best balance this range and reflect what typically signifies a leak. We want to avoid over-notifying customers for water use that may not reflect a leak. There are also some situations quickly resolved by the customer that don’t need an alert from the SFPUC.

For single-family, small multi-family (2-5 dwelling units) residential and irrigation customers, our system flags 48 hours of constant water use over 1 cubic foot (7.5 gallons) an hour. This threshold provides time for us to verify there are no anomalies with the meter data. It also minimizes sending unnecessary alerts.

For some properties, less than 48 hours of constant use could be due to things other than leaks, such as short-term increases in occupants. Due to the time it takes to receive data, screen, and process it, and transfer information between systems, it takes an additional day for the alert to be generated.

For customers who receive leak alerts via mail, please allow an extra business day for processing.

I Received a Leak Alert Notification, What’s Next?

  1. Evaluate your water use.
    example of page on the myaccount applicationTo estimate how much water you could be wasting, multiply the continuous usage rate noted on your leak alert by 24 hours. This will show how much water your leak could be wasting in a single day. Then multiply this daily amount by the number of days nonstop usage has been occurring at the property. Our leak alert will note when constant usage started, or you can check hourly use on My Account.

    Log on to or register for MyAccount to view your daily and hourly water usage, and spot unusual spikes. To see when constant water use started and if it has stopped, look under hourly water use to see if there are any hours that show zero (0) water use in the last day. If hourly use never went to zero, the leak is likely unresolved.

    If you believe your property experienced multiple days of constant water use and you didn’t receive a leak alert from the SFPUC, check that your contact information on file with us is up to date. You can update your contact information through MyAccount. Providing your email or cell phone will help us notify you promptly. You will need your water bill account number to register. If you don't know your water account number, contact our Customer Service Bureau at customerservice@sfwater.org or 415-551-3000 for assistance.

  2. Find and Fix Your Leak.
    • Review our guidance on common leaks and determine if you can locate and fix your leak yourself or if you need assistance.
    • If you can’t find and fix your leak on your own, consider contacting a plumber or professional leak detection company or your building management.
    • If you are a business or organization and received a leak alert from us and do not directly maintain the irrigation/landscape on the property, we encourage you to contact the property landscape contractor. They can assist in reviewing the irrigation system for leaks. They will inspect irrigation valves, identify missing or broken sprinkler heads, and flag muddy or wet areas in the landscape along the irrigation lines that may be cracked or ruptured.
    • You can also schedule a Free Water-Wise Evaluation with a SFPUC water conservation specialist – We will visit your property and check for potential leaks in standard plumbing fixtures, appliances, and irrigation systems and note ways you can save water and money. Depending on your property type and size, we may be able to take simple actions during our visit, such as replacing toilet flappers or leaking showerheads, that could fix some leaks on the spot. We will provide you a complete report of everything we check. Apply online to request a Water-Wise Evaluation or call 415-551-4730.
  3. Check if Your Constant Usage Stopped – After taking action to address your leak, log on to MyAccount and view hourly and daily water use to ensure it has returned to normal. For small properties and irrigation accounts, if hourly goes to zero “0” at times when you typically would not be using water, this means your leak likely stopped.
  4. Consider applying for a toilet, clothes washer or commercial equipment rebate – If you replace an old, leaking fixture or appliance with a qualifying new water-efficient model, you may be eligible for a SFPUC rebate off the purchase cost. Visit Sign Up For Savings for eligibility rules and how to apply.
  5. Consider Applying for a Leak Allowance - the SFPUC’s Customer Service Bureau may provide a credit off a portion of your last water bill if high water use was caused by a leak and you can provide proof of leak repair. The leak allowance program is open to all single-family residential, multifamily residential, and non-residential accounts.

How to Find and Fix Common Leaks 

This guidance is meant to help you find common plumbing leaks in homes and small properties and take steps to make simple repairs yourself.