Do you know how to turn off the water to your home if there is an emergency? If a water pipe breaks in your home, are you—or your tenants—able to find the valve that shuts off the water and prevent costly damage? There are a couple of ways to turn off the water at your property. If you have a water emergency inside the home, locate your house shut-off valve. This valve is typically located where the water line comes into the house, usually on an outside wall near the front of the house. This shutoff valve can usually be turned off by hand. Just turn the valve handle clockwise to turn off all water to the house.

The other valve is located near your water meter. Water meters are installed inside concrete or plastic meter boxes and placed close to the street so they can be easily read by an EID staff member. The pressure regulator and gate valve will be next to the water meter. However, in some cases where a residence is a long distance from EID’s main water line, the gate valve may be difficult to locate in an emergency—it is important to plan ahead. Often these boxes, wherever they are located, can be overgrown with vegetation. It is the customer’s responsibility to keep the area free of vegetation. Keeping your meter and regulator boxes clear of debris and vegetation will help you in case you need to turn off your water—EID meter services staff also appreciate it! Knowing how to shut off your water ahead of time can prevent water damage to your property in the event of an earthquake, winter freeze, or other emergency.

In the event you are unable to locate or operate your gate valve, you must contact EID at 530-622-4513 and request personnel to shut off service on the EID side curb stop. The curb stop is not to be operated by anyone other than an EID employee.