MIDLAND, Texas — If you get a pipe leak in your house, do you know how to shut off the water?
A lot of people might not. But it's simpler than you might think.
First you find the meter box in front of your house or in the alley near your home. Then pop the lid open with a meter box key or screwdriver.
Then you take a crescent or pipe wrench or even a T-bar and use it to turn the valve but do it slowly, that way you minimize the chance of any sort of damage.
“Just be careful turning it off because you may come across a valve that could be frozen and just coming up with a T-bar or even using it by hand with a small crescent or pipe wrench could break it," said Adam Padron, a meter tech for the City of Midland. "Just be a little careful when you turn the valve.”
Then eventually when you need to turn it back on just turn the valve back on again slowly and you're good to go.
But one thing to keep in mind when the water is off is the backflow.
"So when someone's doing work and they're trying to fix something inside or even irrigation there's actually still water in the waterline," Padron added. "So, if you open up a valve or dig up or cut up a piece of the line, you're actually going to have a lot of backflow. So, you're still going to have water within the waterlines of the property."
If you live in an apartment and get a break, make sure to contact your complex's maintenance team that way they're aware of the issue and can get on it.