City Water Shut Off Valve

Several considerations dictate which is the best water shut off valve for your needs including the size of the inlet diameter and outlet diameter as well as how the valve is operated.

City water shut off valve. Newer water shut off valves are designed to turn only one quarter turn of a circle clockwise or counter clockwise. If the valve is a gate valve with a handle shaped like a small wheel this may require several full rotations. These fixture shutoff valves can take many appearances but a very common one is a small silver colored valve with an oval handle with ribbed edges for gripping. Three ways to quickly locate the water shut off valve find the water shut off valve on the inside perimeter.

The first step is to physically search for your house s main water shut off valve on the inside of the home. Important information for water service pipes larger than 50 mm 2 in use our online form to request a city crew. The city s valve is always located on the street side of your water meter often near the edge of your yard. Turn the valve clockwise to close it and shut off the water.

To stop the water flow turn the key clockwise to close the valve. With the cover off you can see the water meter and the county s cutoff valve to the left. Water valve shut off usage. The picture below shows a typical water meter cover found in cities and counties across the u s.

That s where the main water shut off valve comes into play. In warm weather climates the water meter and main water shutoff valve will be located in the curbside box as just described or it could be attached to an exterior wall. In the event your inside main water valve fails there s one final backstop you can operate to shut off water to the house. This allows water to be shut off for small repairs or replacements to the fixture itself without interrupting water flow to other areas.

Water valve shut off types are all designed to stop the flow of water. Typically it will be located on the perimeter of the house since that is where the water first enters your house. One that the city controls outside of your house and one that you can control inside the house.