If your pipes are leaking for any reason or if they have broken due to freezing, you need to shut off the water supply to your house.

Before there's an emergency, find and clearly mark the master shut-off valve in your home and make sure everyone in your family knows where it is.

To find the home’s master shut-off valve, look near your clothes washer hook-up, near your water heater, or at the property side of your water meter. The most common master valve looks like a round wheel attached to a larger pipe. Turn the wheel valve clockwise to shut the water off, counter-clockwise to turn it back on again.

Most homes have SUB-owned valves inside the meter box. These valves have a rectangular knob rather than a wheel valve. The arrow on top of the knob points toward your house when the water is on. A half-turn to the right with a t-wrench turns your water off. If you don't have a t-wrench, use a crescent wrench with a screwdriver inserted through the hole in the handle. If the valve is not turning after applying moderate pressure, DO NOT FORCE THE VALVE.

Note: Not all homes have a master shut-off valve. If your home is lacking this valve, call a qualified plumber to have one installed. In the event of an emergency, it could save you time, money, and can protect your belongings.

If you can't find your shut-off valve, or are having trouble turning it off, call SUB’s water department at 541-726-2397 and someone will come out during regular working hours to help you at no charge.

Once you've shut off the water, switch off the water heater circuit breaker to prevent the heating elements from being damaged. Leave your water off until repairs can be completed or until the leaking or broken area can be isolated from the rest of your water system.