UK Plumbing - water shut off value covering?

Question

New premises and I may need to turn the water off external to the property, so I lifted up the iron flap in the pavement (marked for Severn Trent Water) and took out the foam disc thing a few feet down. But rather than a water meter or a shut off valve there is something like a metal / plastic circular cover almost as wide as the hole and a big shiney bolt head (maybe 3cm diameter) right in the middle of it. Any ideas what it is and/or how to proceed?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

That is the water company's valve, you should have your own just inside the boundary of the property or in the house and another one below the kitchen sink. Often the company valve can shut off water to several houses.

Spock (rhp) · Answer

some houses have an external valve for the entire house located just where the water line enters the house itself. depending on age, inside [basement or crawl space is a likely location], or outside [likely under a round cover about 45 cm from the house wall, or actually embedded in the wall itself.].  would help, mate, if you told us how old this house is ...

Barry · Answer

That has to be the stopcock. Use a hexagon socket and a long bar to turn it clockwise for off. Be gentle with it as I doubt it needs much effort to turn the water off and you don't want to damage it.

Anonymous · Answer

I would think that you need to prise off the cover to see what's underneath.

Tavy · Answer

I showed this to my husband, he said you need to phone Severn Trent for instructions. Sounds like nothing he has come across before.
UK.

UK Plumbing - water shut off value covering?

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