How to shut off your main water valve
To shut off your main water valve, find the valve where the water line enters your house, usually near the front hose bib or in the garage, and turn it clockwise until it stops. If you can't find it or it won't turn, close the valve in the meter box at the street.
Shut off the main valve first, then call Steve's Plumbing Ventura 24/7 at (805) 429-3719. If the leak is at the meter or in the street, call Ventura Water's after-hours emergency line at (805) 650-8010.
Where to find the main shutoff in a Ventura home
Most Ventura homes have two places to stop the water.
| Valve | Where to look | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| House main shutoff | Where the supply pipe enters the house: often near the front hose bib, on an outside wall facing the street, or in the garage | A round wheel handle or a lever on a pipe about 3/4 to 1 inch across, sometimes next to a pressure regulator |
| Meter valve | In the concrete meter box near the curb or sidewalk | A valve on the street side of the meter, often needing a meter key or wrench |
In Southern California slab homes the house shutoff is usually outside. In older raised-foundation homes it may be in the crawl space.
How to shut off the house main valve
- Find the valve where the line enters the house.
- For a wheel handle, turn it clockwise until it stops. Do not force it past firm resistance.
- For a lever handle, turn it a quarter turn so the lever sits crosswise to the pipe.
- Open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain pressure and confirm the water is off.
How to shut off the water at the meter
- Open the meter box lid with a screwdriver. Watch for spiders and standing water.
- Find the valve on the street side of the meter.
- Turn it a quarter turn with a meter key or adjustable wrench so the tab lines up crosswise to the pipe.
- Check the meter dial: it should stop moving.
The meter and street-side valve belong to Ventura Water. Use it only in an emergency, and call Ventura Water at (805) 667-6500 during business hours if it's broken or won't turn.
Other shutoff valves in your home
- Fixture stops: small valves under sinks and behind toilets, turned clockwise. Close one to isolate a single leak without shutting off the house.
- Water heater cold inlet: the valve on the cold pipe at the top of the tank. Closing it stops water going into the heater.
- Gas valve on a gas water heater: turn the control to "pilot" or "off" if the heater is leaking.
- Irrigation valve: a separate shutoff for sprinklers, often near the backflow preventer.
Test your shutoff before you need it
A valve that hasn't moved in 20 years can seize or start leaking when you finally turn it. Find yours today, turn it off and on once, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. If it's stuck, corroded or leaking, we can replace it with a quarter-turn ball valve. Salt air in Pierpont and the Keys corrodes outdoor valves faster, so test those twice a year.
After the water is off
- Turn off the water heater if the house will be without water for a while.
- Cut power to wet areas at the breaker panel if you can do so safely.
- Call a plumber. Steve's Plumbing Ventura answers 24/7. See emergency plumbing in Ventura.
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