Finding Your Water Meter in a Springvale House or Unit Block
When a pipe bursts, you need to turn the water off fast. Here is where to look.
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Houses
In most Springvale houses the water meter is near the front boundary, usually within a metre or two of the fence line or driveway. It may sit on a short pipe above ground or in a small plastic or concrete box with a lid. Over the years, garden beds, mulch and bushes often hide it. Find it now, before you need it, and keep it clear.
Units and townhouses
In blocks of units, the meters are often grouped together in a bank near the street, beside the driveway or in a meter cupboard. Each meter should be labelled with a unit number, but labels fade or go missing. If you are not sure which is yours, ask your owners corporation or agent, or ask a neighbour to run a tap while you watch which meter turns.
Townhouses on subdivided blocks usually have separate meters side by side at the front.
Turning it off
The valve on the meter turns clockwise to close. Older valves can be stiff. Turn firmly but do not force it with a wrench so hard that it snaps. If it will not move, call us.
Inside isolation valves
Many homes also have isolation valves under sinks, basins and toilets, and at the hot water unit. These let you turn off one fixture without shutting off the whole house. If a flexible hose bursts under a sink, turning the small valve there can stop the water straight away.
Gas meter too
Find your gas meter at the same time, usually on the side or front of the house. The valve handle is in line with the pipe when on, and at right angles when off.
After turning off the water
Call 03 7076 1660, switch off power to wet areas if needed, and move belongings out of the water's path.
Springvale ground and pipes
Springvale sits on a mix of sandy loam and heavier clay, and much of the suburb was built in the 1950s and 1960s with earthenware sewer pipes and galvanised or early copper water pipe. Clay joints shift over time and let roots in, rusting galvanised pipe slowly narrows and leaks, and drains under subdivided blocks are often shared between homes. We use drain cameras, locators and pressure tests to see exactly what is going on before anyone digs.
Related services
- Emergency plumbing
- Blocked drains
- Hot water
- Gas fitting
- Hot water replacement
- Heat pumps
- Leaking taps
- Burst pipes
- Toilets
- Leak detection
- Pipe relining
- Stormwater
- Bathrooms and kitchens
- Commercial plumbing
- Grease traps
- Backflow testing
More guides
Why Springvale homes and shops call us
Homes and shopfronts
From 1950s brick veneers to restaurant kitchens on the main strip, we work on both every week.
Plain explanations
We show you what we found, in plain English, with photos when they help.
A price before work
You get a fixed price once the fault is found. Nothing starts until you say yes.
Tidy and on time
We ring ahead, protect floors and take the old parts and mess away.
Get a free quote
Tell us what is happening and a licensed Springvale plumber will call you back.
How quoting works
Ring 03 7076 1660 or send the form with a short note and a photo if you can. A licensed plumber calls you back, asks a few questions and books a time. On site they find the cause, explain your options in plain English and give you a fixed price. Nothing starts until you agree, and larger jobs get a free written quote.
Need a plumber in Springvale?
Springvale, Springvale South, Noble Park, Keysborough and nearby suburbs. Quote-only: the plumber finds the fault first, then gives you a fixed price.