Your water main is the tap at your water meter, usually near the front boundary of your property. Turn it clockwise to close it, or give a lever handle a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe. The time to find it and test it is now, not when water is pouring through your ceiling.
When a pipe bursts, every minute counts. Knowing how to shut off your water can be the difference between a mop and a major insurance claim, and it buys you time while you call for emergency plumbing help. Here’s how to find it, turn it off, check it works, and what to know if you live in a strata building.
Why you need to know before an emergency
Most plumbing emergencies start without warning. A flexi hose bursts under the sink, a pipe splits in the wall, or a toilet cistern won’t stop filling. A burst hose alone can release more than 20 litres a minute, so a few minutes spent searching for the meter can mean hundreds of litres on your floors.
That’s why we recommend everyone in the house knows where the water main is and how to turn it off. It takes five minutes to show the family, and it’s the single most useful plumbing skill you can have. If you’ve just read our guide to checking your flexi hoses, this is the natural next step.
Where is your water main?
Houses and terraces
Sydney Water says your water meter is usually at the front of your property, and the meter tap sits right beside it. In Inner West houses and terraces, common spots include:
- beside the front steps or path
- in a front garden bed, sometimes hidden by plants
- inside a small box with a lid near the front fence
- on the side wall near the front of the house
The tap may look like a standard round tap handle or a lever. Either way, it controls the water supply to your whole property.
If you can’t find it, check your water bill, ask a neighbour where theirs is, or give us a call. Houses on the same street often have their meters in similar spots.
Apartments and units
Apartments are trickier. Many Sydney blocks have their water meters and main stopcock in a shared area, such as:
- a basement car park
- a locked meter room
- a service cupboard in a common hallway
Some units also have their own isolation valve inside the apartment, often behind an access panel, in the laundry, or under the kitchen sink. If yours does, that’s the one you’ll use in an emergency, so find it now.
How to turn off your water main
- Go to your water meter and clear away any debris, mulch, or plants around it.
- Find the meter tap on the pipe beside the meter.
- If it has a round handle, turn it clockwise until it stops. If it has a lever, turn it a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.
- Turn on a tap inside the house. The flow should slow and stop within a minute as the pressure drains.
- Check the meter dial. If the numbers have stopped moving, the water is off.
- Call a licensed plumber to fix the problem before you turn the water back on.
Turn the tap slowly and never force it. An old tap that hasn’t moved in years can crack or start leaking if you put a wrench on it. If it won’t budge, stop and call us.
Test your water main now
Don’t wait for an emergency to find out your meter tap is seized. We suggest testing it every six months, at the same time as your flexi hose check, or asking us to look at it during routine plumbing maintenance.
Sydney Water asks owners to keep at least 30 cm of clear space around the meter on all sides, so it can be read, repaired, or replaced. That also makes it easy for you to reach in a hurry.
If your meter tap is leaking, stiff, or won’t turn off fully, you have two options:
- Call a licensed plumber. We can repair or replace the tap at your cost, and fit an extra isolation valve inside the house if you’d like one that’s easier to reach.
- Call Sydney Water on 13 20 90. It offers free repairs under certain conditions, usually within 10 working days. Its express service costs $99, with a visit within three hours for calls made between 7 am and 5 pm.
Sydney Water also says you can turn the meter tap on and off yourself, but you shouldn’t connect a hose to it or use it to fill a bucket.
Who’s responsible for what?
Sydney Water owns and maintains the water main under the street and the meter itself. As a property owner, you’re responsible for the pipes and fittings on your side of the meter.
Inner West Council explains how to tell whose problem a leak is:
- Between the meter and your home: you’ll need a licensed plumber.
- At the meter, the meter tap, or the pipe out to the street: Sydney Water may be responsible, so call 13 20 90 for advice.
A quick way to find out is to turn off your meter tap. If the water stops flowing, the leak is on your side.
For slower leaks you can’t see, Sydney Water’s leak test helps. Leave the meter tap on, turn off every tap and appliance, note the numbers on the meter, and don’t use any water for at least an hour. If the numbers have changed, you probably have a leak, and the bigger the change, the bigger the leak.
Water mains in strata buildings
In a strata building, the main stopcock is usually on common property, so it’s the owners corporation’s responsibility rather than yours. That matters in an emergency, because the shut-off may be behind a locked door you can’t open.
Ask your strata manager three questions:
- Where is the main stopcock for the building?
- Who has access to it after hours, and how do residents reach them?
- Does each unit have its own isolation valve, and where is it?
If you live in an apartment in Balmain, Leichhardt, or Rozelle, it’s worth asking at your next strata meeting. A unit without its own valve means one burst hose can force the water off for the whole building. Fitting individual valves is a simple fix that saves everyone the disruption.
Going away? Turn the water off
Insurance claim costs for water damage rise over holiday periods, according to Suncorp, because nobody is home to notice a leak. Turning off your water main before you leave removes most of that risk, and it takes seconds.
Before you turn it off, check what relies on a constant water supply, such as:
- automatic pool top-up systems
- fridge water dispensers and ice makers
- garden irrigation systems
If your hot water system runs on electricity, check its owner’s manual for advice on long absences, or give us a call.
When you get home, turn the meter tap back on slowly. Open a tap inside to let the air out of the pipes. A little spluttering or cloudy water is normal for the first minute.
Frequently asked questions
Which way do I turn the water meter tap?
Clockwise to turn it off, and anticlockwise to turn it back on. If it’s a lever, a quarter turn so the handle sits across the pipe turns the water off.
Can I turn off my water main myself?
Yes. Sydney Water says you can turn the meter tap on and off yourself. Just don’t attach a hose to it or use it as a garden tap.
What should I do if my meter tap won’t turn?
Don’t force it. Call a licensed plumber or Sydney Water on 13 20 90. In the meantime, use the isolating taps behind your toilet and under your sinks to stop water to a single fixture.
Who fixes a leak at the water meter?
Sydney Water may be responsible for leaks at the meter, the meter tap, or the pipe out to the street. Leaks between the meter and your home are yours to fix with a licensed plumber.
Book a water main check
Richard Knight Plumbing has been helping Inner West homes and businesses from our base on Raper Street, Newtown, since 2005. We can show you where your water main is, check that it turns off fully, repair or replace a stiff meter tap, and fit isolation valves inside your home or apartment.
We work Monday to Friday, 7 am to 5 pm, across all the suburbs on our service area page. Call 1300 300 941 or request a quote, and we’ll get back to you with clear advice and an obligation-free quote.