Have you ever wondered "Where is my water meter located?" Every home-owner should know where to shut off the water and gas in an emergency. Every minute counts and water absolutely destroys everything. If it blasts long enough at stone it works its way through it. Most NSW houses will have them in the front yard of the property. Keep your eyes out for garden taps nearby. They should be 300mm above ground so they are easy to find in an emergency and so you don’t wipe them out with your Victa Lawnmower on the weekend. Some may have been landscaped over or have had trees and bushes fully hide them. If this has happened get clearing! Plumbers tend to install a front garden tap on the same side of the water meter. In areas with high elevation, they are actually underground to protect them from frost or freezing. You would see a water meter box on the ground. If you are in a unit they can be found either under the kitchen sink/cupboards down low, inside the laundry or in the bedrooms. Keep an eye out for a tap handle sticking out the wall. If you don’t know which one does what, you should get familiar with them. Many old units here in Sydney have individual shut-off taps outside on the walls. They can be a pain in the ass to get access to sometimes so be ready to have a game plan on how you’re going to shut it off in an emergency. Also, some units can have more than one isolation valve.
Happy hunting. Thank me later.
Image: Sydney Water
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