How To Shut Water Off At The Street

It’s often said that one of the scariest sounds to a homeowner is the steady trickle of running water. As water can cause a tremendous amount of damage if left unchecked, this fear is pretty well-founded. So if you find yourself needing to turn off the water to make some adjustments, the easiest way is by shutting off your main water shutoff which is located on the main water line often found in a utility room or closet. However, what if you need to service that valve or the water line just before it? In that case, you should shut off the water at the street or curb level. This article will explain how it’s done.

The exact location is slightly different for every city, but there will be a valve located somewhere on your property, close to the street, that controls the water flow to your house. Once you have located the water source, open the lid and look for the valve, which is located between one or a few feet underground. Next, use either vice grips or a specialty curb key to shut off the valve. 

Finding these valves can sometimes be challenging, and there are several precautions you should take before interacting with the main water line. If you prefer to learn visually, check out our video for this process on our YouTube channel, or read on to learn more about shutting off your water at the street level.

How To Find And Shut Off Water At The Curb

Most of the time, these shutoff valves are located underneath a cover that is indented just below your grass level. The cover plate itself will look different depending on when your city was built and where you live, but in this example property, it is a circular lid and actually services two houses, which means it is a bit larger than other single home-sized ones.

To open this cover, you will need to rotate the pentagon-shaped latch 90 degrees to get the lid to open. There are special tools that can make this part easy, but in most cases, a pair of vice grips or a crescent wrench will do the job perfectly well.

It is essential to be careful when you lift the actual lid up after unlocking the latch, as most cities have moved from a manual meter to a digital meter. What this means for us homeowners is that there will likely be a load of electronics and hardware directly underneath the lid. Ensure that you’re wearing gloves, and lift the lid open carefully and set it gently to the side.

Once you have the lid safely removed, you should see the main water line a meter and the shutoff valve. The depth of the hole will differ again depending on where you live; in the midwest, it is approximately three feet deep where the frost line will be. One of our subscribers in Florida stated that their water shutoff is located only 2 inches deep in the dirt as there is no frost line there.

While the depth of the hole itself may differ, this is the stage of the process where you will most likely require a specialty tool. The one I used for this project is called a curb key, though it may have a different name depending on the store you frequent. It has a long shaft with a large T-handle at one end and a U-shaped fitting on the bottom. Especially for those located in colder parts of the country, this tool is essential for accessing the deeply buried valve.

Once you have your curb key, simply attach the end of it to the valve inside the access hole, and rotate either 90 or 180 degrees depending on the valve style. This process will shut off the water coming into your house, and then you can service your main water line or main water shutoff valve.

What To Do If You Can’t Find The Water Main

As mentioned above, finding the water main access location can be challenging, but one of our subscribers, Grogbelly, provided an excellent solution if you can’t find the entrance. They could not find the main shutoff at the curb, so they called the water company, who came out within a few hours to assist.

When the water company arrived, they advised Grogbelly that there is often a “W” or other indicator etched into the curb’s concrete. The indicator corresponds to the left-right location relative to the watermark for that house. In this subscriber’s case, the water valve was directly in line with the “W” in the concrete but was located approximately eight feet back from the curb with bushes and sod partially grown over it.

So if you are having difficulty locating your water main access point, reach out to your local water company for assistance. They should be able to identify it for you and have the tools necessary to gain access.

Is It Safe To Turn Off The Main Water Supply?

One of the most commonly asked questions on our YouTube video for this topic was whether it is safe to access and turn off the main water supply for your home. One subscriber, Spmince1, stated that while it is not illegal in most places to access the water main, the access panel and hole are often the water company’s property.

So if you damage any of the electronics or components in your search for the main valve, you will likely need to pay fines and costs to replace them, along with any wasted water costs. 

Another subscriber, Bnasty2671, stated that they would only consider turning off the curb stop themselves if their house was flooding, in which case it would be worth the risk. However, they note that they would reach out to the water company for any planned repair work.

How Long Should You Run Water After Shutting It Off?

While there is no defined rule as there are different potential issues in other parts of the country, it is still good to run your water after restoring it from a shutoff. After restoring the water to your house from the curb access panel, run the water to the different faucets in your home for 5 to 15 minutes.

No matter where you live, if the water is sitting stagnant in pipes, it can be very unsafe for drinking, bathing, or cooking. Check with your local water company if you have shut off the water main to confirm exactly how long the water should run. Also, check if other precautionary steps should be taken upon opening the valve up again.

Learning The Ins And Outs Of Your Home

Whether you need to manage sudden repairs due to leaky pipes or fixtures, or you just want to understand your home better, understanding how to access and fix issues yourself will save you money and grief in the long run. Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel for more home repair tips for the everyday person, and leave a comment if you have any questions or comments about this process. We are here to help educate others on managing their own house through any kind of situation!