Find it before you need it
The City of Phoenix’s advice for a broken pipe is short: turn off the water to your house at the main shut-off valve, then call a plumber. That only works if you know where the valve is and that it still turns. The city also tells residents to know where the valve is and to test it regularly.
Take a few minutes on a calm day to find it, try it and show everyone in the house where it is. In an emergency, the person who’s home may not be the one who knows.
Where the valve usually is in Phoenix homes
The City of Phoenix’s plumbing tips describe where to look:
- At the front of the home. For most houses, the valve is near a hose bib, which is an outdoor faucet.
- Where a pipe comes out of the ground. Look for a pipe rising out of the ground and going into the house.
- At the back, in some older homes. The city notes that some older houses have the shut-off at the rear of the property.
A few tips help when it isn’t obvious:
- Start at the outdoor faucet nearest the street and look below and beside it.
- Check behind shrubs, rocks and landscaping that may have grown or been placed over it.
- In an older home, walk the back wall and side yards too.
If you still can’t find it, the City of Phoenix says to call its Water Services customer service line, and a technician can come out and turn the water off at the meter for you.
Other Valley cities
Valley cities describe the valve in slightly different ways:
- Chandler. The City of Chandler says your home’s valve is usually under the outside faucet near the front of the house. The meter box is generally near the sidewalk in front of the home, in a direct line with that main outside faucet.
- Scottsdale. The City of Scottsdale says the property owner’s cut-off valve is next to the water meter box, and asks residents to know where it is and how to use it. For a burst pipe, it says to turn off the water at the main shut-off valve and contact a plumbing professional.
- Mesa. The City of Mesa asks residents to call the city if water is leaking from the meter box or coming up in the street, and to call a plumber for leaks on the property beyond the meter.
If you live somewhere else in the Valley, check your city water department’s website or call the department and ask where to look.
Gate valves and ball valves
Most main shut-offs are one of two types. The Smart Home Water Guide, published with the City of Phoenix and the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, explains how each one closes:
- Gate valve. This usually has a round handle. It closes by turning it right, or clockwise. Keep turning until it stops.
- Ball valve. This usually has a lever handle. It closes by turning it perpendicular to the water line, which is a quarter turn. When the lever runs in the same direction as the pipe, the valve is open.
The same guide gives a warning worth remembering: “Shut-off valves may fail or break if they are old or corroded. You should only turn shut-off valves by hand.” Don’t use pliers, a wrench or a pipe for extra leverage.
How to close the main valve
- Get to the valve. Clear away plants, rocks or anything else in the way.
- Turn it by hand. A gate valve goes clockwise until it stops. A ball valve’s lever goes a quarter turn, until it sits across the pipe.
- Check that it worked. Open a faucet inside the house. The flow should slow and then stop.
- Stop if it won’t move. If the valve is stuck, leaks around the handle or breaks, leave it. The City of Phoenix says to contact the city to have service turned off at the meter if your house valve is broken.
- Call a plumber to repair the leak and, if needed, the valve.
If water has already spread through the house, our first-hour checklist covers what to do next, from electrical safety to photos for your insurer. For a pipe that broke inside a wall or ceiling, see burst pipe water damage. For standing water, see emergency water extraction.
Leave the meter valve to the city
The Smart Home Water Guide says most residential water meters sit in a concrete box near the curb or sidewalk at the front of the property. Water can also be shut off at the meter, but that’s the city’s job.
The City of Phoenix is blunt about it: “DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TURN OFF THE WATER AT THE METER YOURSELF.” It explains that shutting water off at the meter requires a special tool, and that you may be held responsible for repairs to a damaged meter. The city also notes that the meter box and the meter are its property.
City side and owner side of the meter
The meter marks where the city’s responsibility ends. The City of Phoenix says Phoenix Water Services repairs leaks, broken pipes and water mains on the city, or street, side of the meter. Leaks on private property, the customer’s side, are the property owner’s responsibility.
That means the service line running from the meter to your house is yours to find and fix, along with everything inside the home. The Smart Home Water Guide says the same: it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to find and repair leaks on the homeowner’s side of the meter box.
Test the valve regularly
The City of Phoenix recommends testing the valve regularly. Close it by hand until the water stops at an inside faucet, then open it fully again. If it’s stiff, won’t close all the way or drips at the handle, have a plumber look at it before you need it in an emergency.
Pick a date you’ll remember, like the start of monsoon season on June 15. While you’re there, tag the valve or take a photo of its location and share it with the household.
Use the meter to check for hidden leaks
Your water meter can tell you whether water is running somewhere you can’t see, such as under the slab. The Smart Home Water Guide describes the steps:
- Turn off everything that uses water. That includes faucets, toilets, the washer and dishwasher, irrigation, the pool autofill, the water softener and the evaporative cooler, if you have one. The City of Chandler and the City of Mesa both list these as common reasons a meter keeps moving.
- Open the meter box. The guide suggests using a long screwdriver to lift the lid. Read the meter, but don’t touch the valve.
- Watch the dial. On an analog meter, watch the sweep hand and the small low-flow indicator, which may be a triangle, star or gear. If either moves, you have a continuous leak. For slow leaks, take two readings 20 minutes apart. On a digital meter, watch the flow rate screen for at least 10 flashes. A number above zero on any flash means a continuous leak.
- Close your main valve and look again. If the meter still moves, the leak is in the service line between the meter and the house. If it stops, the leak is inside the home’s plumbing, which includes any lines under the slab. See slab leak water damage for what that can mean.
Other agencies suggest longer tests. The City of Scottsdale suggests using no water for at least 30 minutes between readings, and the EPA’s WaterSense program suggests checking the meter before and after a two-hour period with no water use.
A couple of numbers help make sense of the reading. Phoenix meters read in cubic feet, and one cubic foot is 7.48 gallons. The Smart Home Water Guide puts average use in the Phoenix metro at 6,000 to 15,000 gallons per household per month, and notes that irrigation controller settings cause high bills more often than leaks do.
A slow leak you find this way may already have wet flooring or the bottoms of walls. Our guide to the signs of hidden mold lists what to look for.
Close the water heater supply when you’re away
The City of Phoenix has a tip for trips: “For long periods away from home, shut off the water to your house and hot water heater where it enters the heater.” The heater’s supply valve is on the cold-water pipe that feeds it. If a line fails while you’re gone, less water can escape.
If a leak does happen while you’re away, photos taken before anything is moved will help with an insurance claim. Our insurance guide explains how policies generally treat sudden leaks and what to document.