Where your water shutoff valve is, and why to find it today

At the street

In most Fulshear subdivisions the municipal shutoff sits in a rectangular plastic or concrete box near the kerb or the footpath, usually in line with the side of the house. Lift the lid — a long flathead screwdriver through the slot works if you do not own a meter key. Inside you will see the meter and, on the house side of it, a valve. Some are a lever you turn a quarter turn; some are a nut that needs a meter key. Clockwise closes.

At the house

There is often a second shutoff where the supply line enters the house — commonly in the garage, near the water heater, or on an exterior wall on the side nearest the street. This one is usually a gate valve (a round handle you turn several times) or a ball valve (a lever). Use this one by preference: it is yours, it is above ground, and it does not require opening a box at the kerb in the dark.

Test it before you need it

Close it, then open a tap inside and confirm the flow stops within a few seconds. Then open it again, slowly, and check around the valve body for weeping. A valve that has sat untouched for ten years can seize or can start leaking the first time it is moved — far better to discover that on a Tuesday afternoon than during an emergency. If it will not budge, a plumber can replace it as a scheduled job for a fraction of what the same visit costs at 2am.

Label it

Write what it is on a luggage tag and attach it to the valve, or put a strip of bright tape on the wall beside it. Anyone in the house, including a guest or a sitter, should be able to find it without calling you.

Common questions