DEP serves property owners a 3-day notice when a leak has been found on the service line between the street main and the property owner's house. The 3-day period is defined as 3 business days. For example, a property owner who receives a notice on Friday will have until Wednesday of the next week to repair the service line.

The property owner must hire a licensed outdoor plumber to make the necessary repairs. A DEP inspector will return after 3 days to inspect if the repairs were made. If a repair cannot be made within the 3-day time period, only the licensed plumber may apply to DEP for an extension. 

Property owners who fail to repair the line within the 3-day time period will be fined $500 on their next water bill, will be issued a 10-day notice, and will have their water service shut off.

If you are a property owner who has failed to meet a 3-day notice, you will receive a 10-day notice. DEP will shut off water service when the 10-day notice is served. 

If you receive a 10-day notice, you must repair the service line within 10 business days. If you fail to make the repair, DEP may return to destroy the tap. DEP will turn the tap back on when it gets confirmation that repair is complete. The licensed plumber who made the repair can tell DEP that the problem is fixed.

If you do not fix the leak after 10 days, water service will remain shut off. You will not be charged extra money on top of the $500 fine you got for ignoring the 3-day notice.

A licensed outdoor plumber is a plumber who is licensed by the Department of Buildings to make repairs on pipes beneath the ground.

A licensed outdoor plumber will know how to repair the leak and work with DEP to make sure all permits and inspections are handled properly.