How to Turn Off Your Water at the Mains

On most UK properties, the internal stop tap is on the rising main — the cold water pipe that comes in from the street. It's typically located in one of these spots:

• Under the kitchen sink — most common location in 1960s+ properties
• In the utility room — common in newer-build homes
• In a downstairs cupboard — under the stairs, hallway airing cupboard, or boiler cupboard
• In the cellar or garage — older Victorian and Edwardian terraces
• Behind a kitchen kickboard or fridge — modern flats and apartments

It will look like a brass or chrome valve with a round handle (older style) or a quarter-turn lever (newer style). On older properties the round handle may be paint-stuck — if it won't move with reasonable hand force, don't force it (you'll snap it). Call a plumber to free or replace it before you need it for an emergency.

Round-handle stop tap: Turn clockwise until it stops. It's a multi-turn valve — usually 4–6 full rotations. Don't over-tighten at the end; finger-tight plus a small extra is enough.

Quarter-turn lever: Rotate the lever 90 degrees so it sits at right angles to the pipe. When the lever is in line with the pipe, the valve is open; perpendicular, closed.

To test it works: turn it off, then open a cold tap somewhere in the house. The flow should stop within 10–15 seconds (the pipework still holds some water that drains out first). If the tap keeps running indefinitely, the stop tap isn't fully closing — needs replacement.

Your external stop tap is the water company's shut-off, located between your property and the water main in the street. It sits inside a small chamber, usually:

• In the pavement directly outside the front of the property
• In the front garden, near the boundary or path
• Just inside the property boundary, sometimes covered by a paving slab

The cover is small (around 10cm × 10cm), usually metal or plastic, often marked "W" (Water) or with the water company's logo. Lift it with a flathead screwdriver in the slot. Inside you'll see a stop tap deep in the chamber — you'll need a long-handled stopcock key (any plumber's merchant sells one for £10–£15) or, in a pinch, a long-handled flat screwdriver that fits the slot.

Use the external stop tap when: the internal one is seized or missing, water is reaching the internal stop tap and you can't safely access it, or you're isolating the property fully (e.g. for an extended absence in winter).

For a full emergency response sequence, see our companion guide: what to do in a plumbing emergency. The short version: turn off the boiler, drain the system by opening cold taps from highest to lowest, and call a 24/7 emergency plumber if you have an active leak or burst.