Look where the water service enters the house. Depending on the building, the private main may be near an exterior wall, in a garage or mechanical room, or near a crawlspace or basement entry. Label it before an emergency so no one has to guess while water is leaking.
A valve beside a toilet, sink, or appliance usually controls only that fixture. The main shutoff controls water to the house. Use the nearby valve for an isolated fixture leak and the private main when the source is hidden or the fixture valve does not stop it. [2]
For water utilities regulated under Oklahoma Corporation Commission rules, utility ownership extends through the outlet side of the meter and customer piping begins after it. Municipal systems may use different rules. Do not assume that an unidentified valve inside a meter or curb box is customer-operated; ask the serving utility first. [4]
How common handles close
Lever-style ball valve
Round multi-turn valve
Move the lever one quarter-turn to the closed position. [2]
Turn the wheel clockwise using normal hand pressure. [2]
Stop when the lever reaches its intended closed position; do not pull past it. [2]
If the wheel is stuck, stop rather than adding a wrench or body weight. [3]
If active flow does not slow, leave the handle alone and report the result.
If the handle spins, leaks, or does not change the flow, stop turning and report the result. [3]
How to tell whether the water is off
- Watch the leak from a dry location. Active pressure should fall, although water stored above the break may continue to drain. [2]
- If the plumbing is not backed up and the route is dry, check a working faucet or hose bib to see whether flow tapers off. Western Municipal Water District recommends checking a working fixture to verify closure. [2]
- Leave the main closed until the damaged pipe or fitting has been repaired. Let everyone in the home know not to reopen it.
Prepare before the next leak
- Label the private main shutoff and show every adult occupant where it is.
- Keep the path clear and a battery flashlight nearby.
- Have a stiff, buried, corroded, or hard-to-reach private valve checked before an emergency. Milwaukee Water Works warns against forcing a valve that will not close. [3]
- Write down which local valves control toilets, sinks, washing machines, and water heaters.
- Store the utility’s non-emergency contact information with the valve notes in case the private shutoff cannot control the service.
The handle position alone does not prove that the water is off. If the leak slows only partly or does not change, stop turning the valve and report what happened. Milwaukee Water Works tells customers to request help rather than risk breaking a stuck shutoff. [3]
Water may keep dripping for a short time because pipes above the break, the water heater, or an appliance line still hold water. It should slow down. If a strong spray or stream continues, the valve may not have closed, the wrong valve may have been used, or another water source may still be feeding the leak.