Where is my water shut-off? A guide for houses and apartments

When a pipe bursts or a hose fitting lets go, the first job is to stop the water. That's easy if you know where your shut-off valve is, and stressful if you don't. This guide shows where to find the main water valve in a house and in an apartment, plus the smaller valves that let you turn off just one tap, toilet or appliance. It's written by the licensed plumbers who work in homes across Matraville, Maroubra, Botany and the southern Eastern Suburbs every day.

In a house: the main valve at the water meter

In most Sydney houses the main shut-off valve sits right beside the water meter, usually near the front boundary: in the front garden, beside the driveway or just inside the front fence. In some older homes the meter is down the side of the house instead.

• Look for the meter: a small dial or digital display on the water pipe, sometimes in a box or under a small lid at ground level.
• The valve is on the pipe next to it, usually a round tap handle or a lever.
• Round handle: turn it clockwise until it stops.
• Lever: turn it a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe, not in line with it.
• Open a tap inside to check the water has stopped.

Our water meter guide covers the rules about keeping the meter clear and using it to check for leaks.

In an apartment or unit

Apartments are trickier, because the building's main valve and meter are usually in a shared plant room, a meter cupboard or a pit outside, and that valve shuts off water to every unit. Most apartments also have their own isolation valve that turns off just your unit. Common places to look:

If you can't find a valve for your unit, ask the building manager where it is before you need it. In older walk-up blocks in Maroubra, Kingsford and Kensington, some units share a single valve with their neighbours.

Shut-offs for one tap, toilet or appliance

You don't always need to turn off the whole house. Most fixtures have their own small isolation valve:

• Toilet: a small tap on the pipe running into the cistern, usually on the wall behind or beside the toilet.
• Basin and kitchen sink: one valve each for hot and cold, under the basin or in the cupboard under the sink.
• Washing machine and dishwasher: the taps the hoses screw onto, or a valve under the sink.
• Hot water system: a valve on the cold water pipe going into the unit. Turning it off stops more water entering the tank.
• Fridge with water or ice: a small valve on the thin supply line, often under the sink or behind the fridge.

Test your valve before you need it

Valves that haven't been turned for years often seize, or turn but don't fully stop the water. It's worth finding yours today and turning it off and on once, gently. If it's stuck, leaking or won't shut properly, we can replace it with a new quarter-turn valve that's easy for anyone in the house to use. Many older homes in Matraville, Malabar and Botany still have the original valve beside the meter, and a lot of them no longer shut off properly.

If a pipe bursts

• Turn off the water at the main valve, or at the fixture's own valve if the leak is there.
• If water is near power points or appliances, keep clear and turn off the electricity at the switchboard if it's safe to reach.
• Open a tap at the lowest point of the house to drain the pipes.
• Call a licensed plumber to repair the pipe. See our burst pipe repairs.

Related help: water meter guide, hidden water leak guide, burst pipe repairs, leak detection and our gas shut-off guide. Local pages: Matraville, Maroubra, Kingsford and Kensington. Browse all our plumbing guides. Valve seized? See pipe freezing. Going away? See going on holiday.