How To Find Your Water Shut-Off In League City
The main water shut-off is the single most useful valve in your house. When a pipe bursts, a water heater leaks or a toilet will not stop overflowing, closing it stops the damage in seconds. During the February 2021 freeze, League City told residents with broken lines who could not close their main valve to call the city's water department, so find yours before you need it. If it will not turn or you cannot find it, call (346) 358-6641 and our team will locate it, repair it or replace it.
Inside the house
In many League City homes, the main shut-off is where the water supply line comes into the house from the street. Look on the wall of the garage closest to the front of the house, on an outside wall near a hose bib, in a utility closet, or near the water heater. It is usually a round wheel handle or a lever handle on a pipe coming up out of the slab or through the wall. A lever is closed when it sits across the pipe.
At the meter
If you cannot find a valve at the house, the city meter is in a box in the ground, usually near the street or sidewalk at the front of the lot. The meter box often has a valve on the city side that needs a meter key to turn. Some homes also have a customer-side valve in the same box. Lift the lid carefully, watch for insects and snakes, and turn the valve a quarter turn so it sits across the pipe.
If the valve is seized
A valve that has not been turned in years can be stuck or can snap. Do not use a cheater bar on an old gate valve; you can break the stem and make the leak worse. Try firm, steady pressure on the handle, and a little penetrating oil on the stem. If it will not close, go to the meter instead. Then call (346) 358-6641. Our plumbers can replace it with a quarter-turn ball valve, which is easier to close in a hurry.
Label it today
Once you find the valve, tag it with a label everyone in the house can read, and show family members, house-sitters and tenants where it is. Keep a meter key and a flashlight in the garage. Turn the valve off and on once or twice a year so it does not seize. Also note the shut-off valves under each sink and behind each toilet, and the cold supply valve on top of the water heater. For more on local causes, see common plumbing problems.