Emergency Information

It's Important to Prepare in Advance

In the event of an emergency, could you find our web site and can we contact you? A water emergency may be as small as a burst pipe on a hot water tank, or as big as a widespread service interruption caused by a natural disaster such as an earthquake, fire, or flood. No matter the size of the emergency, it’s important for our customers to be prepared. 

These Important Steps Can Help You Prepare for Water Emergencies

1. If you have a life-threatening situation, always call 911 first.
   Call us 24/7 to report a water supply emergency such as a water main break, service leak, or an unattended flow of water from any type of water line or hydrant.
2. Keep an emergency supply of potable water accessible. Water is an essential component of an emergency supply kit. Learn more about planning ahead for disasters at www.ready.gov
3. Locate and map all valves, practice shutting them off, and show members of your household how to do the same.  Sometimes valves are old and may be stuck, keep spinning, or even break off in your hand. It is much easier to find and fix valves now, rather than during a water supply emergency. These are common types and locations of water shut-off valves to identify:
   1. Property Side Meter Valves are located in your meter box usually found near the street or sidewalk in front of your house. The valve is located right after the meter going toward your house, inside the meter box. Closing this valve will turn off all the water going to your yard and home. (You will need to look inside your meter box and verify you have this type of valve as some customers do not have a property side meter valve.)
   2. House Valves are usually located outside of your house and may be found just below the hose bib faucet where the main water line enters your home. The valve will typically have a round or oval handle (gate valve), or a straight lever handle (ball valve) that controls the flow of the water to the entire house. To close the gate valve, turn the round or oval valve handle clockwise. This valve typically turns the water off slowly and will need several turns to be fully closed. To close a ball valve turn the straight lever handle clockwise a quarter turn so it sits perpendicular to the pipe. Ball valves must be closed and opened slowly and smoothly to avoid undue stress or damage to pipes and fittings. If your home does not have a house shut-off valve, please consider having one installed.
   3. Fixture Valves are found under sinks, at clothes washers, and hot water heaters. These valves only turn off the adjacent fixture.
      

Please note that customers are encouraged to call a plumber for issues on the customer's side of the meter.