If the valve is a gate valve with a handle shaped like a small wheel this may require several full rotations.
City water shut off valve.
These fixture shutoff valves can take many appearances but a very common one is a small silver colored valve with an oval handle with ribbed edges for gripping.
This allows water to be shut off for small repairs or replacements to the fixture itself without interrupting water flow to other areas.
The picture below shows a typical water meter cover found in cities and counties across the u s.
One that the city controls outside of your house and one that you can control inside the house.
Typically it will be located on the perimeter of the house since that is where the water first enters your house.
The city s valve is always located on the street side of your water meter often near the edge of your yard.
Important information for water service pipes larger than 50 mm 2 in use our online form to request a city crew.
To stop the water flow turn the key clockwise to close the valve.
The main water valve on the street.
That s where the main water shut off valve comes into play.
For typical city dwellings there are actually two main shut off valves.
In the event your inside main water valve fails there s one final backstop you can operate to shut off water to the house.
Water valve shut off types are all designed to stop the flow of water.
Turn the valve clockwise to close it and shut off the water.
With the cover off you can see the water meter and the county s cutoff valve to the left.
Once again if there are two valves one on each side of the meter either one should work but the city prefers you shut off the one on the house side of the meter.
Water valve shut off usage.
In warm weather climates the water meter and main water shutoff valve will be located in the curbside box as just described or it could be attached to an exterior wall.
The first step is to physically search for your house s main water shut off valve on the inside of the home.