How to find and turn off your water mains before a pipe bursts

When a pipe bursts, every minute the water runs does more damage. Water gets into walls, ceilings, floors and cabinets, and the first job is to stop it at the source. That means knowing where to turn off your water mains, and having done it once before the day you need it.

Most people find out where the stop tap is while standing in a flooded kitchen. It takes about ten minutes to find it and test it now.

Where the water mains stop tap usually is

Queensland Government guidance on water problems at home describes the usual spots for a house. The stop tap may be near the front hose tap, or at the mains near the property boundary, on the water meter or underground in a marked chamber. For a unit, it is on the pipe coming into the unit, and may be near the front hose tap, in a pit with a removable cover, or marked by a number on the building. The City of Gold Coast says water meters are usually towards the front of the property, close to the left or right boundary, at ground level under a lid marked "Water Meter".

• Walk to the front of the property and look for a small concrete, metal or plastic lid set into the ground, usually near the boundary or the footpath. That is the water meter box.
• Lift the lid carefully and look inside. The stop tap is normally in the same box, on the pipe next to the meter.
• Check beside the front hose tap and along the wall where the water line enters the house.
• In a unit, check the pipe where it enters the unit, the front entrance and any pit with a lid.

Test it today

1. Turn the tap to the close position, which is clockwise, until it stops. If it is stiff, Water Corporation advises turning it anticlockwise first to break the seal, then clockwise to close.
2. Go inside and open a kitchen tap. The water should slow to a trickle and stop.
3. Turn the stop tap back on, and let the tap run until the water is clear again.
4. If the handle will not move, do not force it. A seized valve that snaps is a worse day than one that is stiff, and it is a quick job for a plumber to replace.

A stop tap nobody has turned in years often seizes, so test it now, in daylight, not mid-flood.

Make it easy for anyone in the house

• Take a photo of the stop tap, with the box or lid visible, and keep it on your phone.
• Tell everyone in the house where it is. A burst pipe does not wait for the one person who knows.
• Keep the area around the meter box clear of mulch, pavers and pot plants.
• If you rent, ask the agent or landlord to point it out at the next inspection, and make a note of it.

If a pipe bursts

1. Go straight to the stop tap and turn it off.
2. Open a tap at the lowest point in the house, such as a laundry tub or an outside tap, to let the water left in the pipes drain away.
3. Move furniture, rugs and anything valuable out of the wet area, and take photos of the damage for your insurer.
4. Call a plumber. Tell them where the water was coming from and that the mains are off. If you cannot get the water off, that is emergency plumbing.

Whose pipe is it?

The City of Gold Coast says the owner is responsible for the pipes and fittings on the property side of the meter, and for the cost of the water recorded on it. Its water leaks page adds that if the ground is soggy at the meter and the meter is not recording use, the leak is likely in council infrastructure, and to call the council on 1300 000 928. If you are not sure which side a leak is on, turn the water off and call a plumber to look.

When to call us

Turning the water off stops the damage. It does not fix the pipe. If you cannot find the stop tap, it will not turn, or it still runs after you have closed it, that needs a plumber straight away, so call us and we will talk you through it. For the repair itself, a burst pipe or leak repair starts with finding exactly where the water is coming from.