HOW TO: Turn Off Main Water Supply

Welcome to the next installment in our “How To” series. As we make new posts we will be compiling them all onto one page so you can easily access all of the previous posts in the series. Visit the “How To: A Helpful Series” page now to check it out! Now on to today’s helpful hint:

In an emergency situation where your municipal water source could be contaminated, it is important to immediately turn off the water entering your home from the main water line. This will help to prevent contamination and will allow you to use alternate water sources in your home such as: hot water heater, toilet tanks (unless a colored disinfectant was used), water pipes, soft water tanks, etc.

Since we did not know how to shut off the main water supply our homes, we commissioned Jodi’s sweet hubby to help with this instructional video. We all need to know how to do these things since you never know who will be home (or not home) when an emergency strikes!

If you live in a newer home you may have a shut-off valve in your house. This is nice because you can avoid the “spider problem” but can be bad if you have children that are rascals (see Julie’s water adventures story). So figure out what type of shut-off valve you have and make sure you know where it is and how to turn it off (and back on!)

Other helpful “Water” Resources

BabyStep 2: Water – basic information on getting a 2 week supply of water
Alternate Water Sources – Sources of water both inside and outside your home
How to Make an Evaporation Still – Great way to collect water
Water Purification – Methods of purifying water from outside sources