How to Turn Off the Water at Your Property — A Quick Guide for Taranaki Homeowners
There's one thing we tell almost every customer who calls us in a panic about a leak or a burst pipe: "Have you turned the water off yet?"
Nine times out of ten, the answer is no — not because they didn't want to, but because they had no idea where to look.
Finding your water shut-off before something goes wrong is one of the simplest and most valuable things you can do as a homeowner. It takes five minutes, costs nothing, and could save you thousands in water damage.
Here's exactly how to do it.
Why Turning the Water Off Matters
Water doesn't wait. Whether it's a burst pipe, a leaking hot water cylinder, or a fitting that's given up the ghost, every second the water is still running is more damage to your floors, walls, and framing. Knowing how to shut it off quickly is the difference between a manageable repair and a full-scale renovation.
💡HOT TIP: Before you call us in an emergency, turn the water off first. It's the single most effective thing you can do to limit damage while you wait for us to arrive.
How to Find Your Main Water Shut-Off (Water Toby)
In New Zealand, the main shut-off valve for your property is called a toby — and it's almost always located outside, near the front boundary of your property close to the street.
Here's how to find it:
Step 1 — Head to your front boundary Walk to the front of your property near the footpath or road. You're looking for a small lid in the ground — usually blue or sometimes metal, roughly 100mm across. In some cases it may be labelled "water."
Step 2 — Lift the lid Inside you'll find a valve, tap, or lever. That's your toby. This controls all water coming into your property.
Step 3 — Turn it off Turn the valve clockwise — righty tighty — until it stops. That's it. Water to your entire house is now off.
Step 4 — Confirm it's off Turn on an outside hose tap to drain any remaining water from the pipes and confirm the supply has stopped.
💡HOT TIP: Can't find your toby? Contact the New Plymouth District Council — they're obligated to help you locate it. It's your valve and you have every right to know where it is.
Hey, We’re How Good Plumbing & Gas.
Based in New Plymouth, we handle plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying right across Taranaki. Chuck our number in your phone now so that you have a plumber on standby - if the worst should happen!
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New Plymouth & Taranaki
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Turning Off Water to Individual Fixtures
Sometimes you don't need to shut off the whole house — you just need to isolate one area.
Almost all Toilets have a “Cistern Tap” that isolates the water to that toilet. Most modern kitchens and laundry tubs have isolation valves in the cupboard under the sink. Some vanities have isolation valves underneath the sink but this is uncommon. Most hot water cylinders and outdoor gas water heaters have isolation valves nearby.
Toilet — look for a small valve on the pipe coming out of the wall behind or beside the toilet. Turn it clockwise to isolate just the cistern.
Kitchen or bathroom sink — check under the sink inside the cabinet. There should be individual valves on both the hot and cold supply pipes.
Hot water cylinder — there's usually a cold water inlet valve on the pipe feeding into the top or side of the cylinder. Turning this off stops water flowing into the cylinder without cutting supply to the rest of the house.
💡HOT TIP: For valves with a flat handle — a T shape means off, and an I shape means on. If it's a round valve, clockwise is always off.
Do This Right Now (Before You Need It)
Don't wait for an emergency or a significant leak to go looking for your toby. Do it today.
Find it, lift the lid, and make sure the valve moves freely. Some older valves seize up over time — if yours is stiff or corroded, it's worth getting it checked before you actually need to use it in a hurry.
Then show everyone in your household where it is. Kids, flatmates, partners — everyone who lives there should know where to find it and how to use it.
When to Call How Good Plumbing & Gas
Once the water is off, the emergency is contained — but the repair still needs to happen. Whether it's a burst pipe, a leaking fitting, or something you just can't track down, How Good Plumbing & Gas is your local New Plymouth plumber covering all of Taranaki.
We offer 24/7 callouts for plumbing emergencies, and we'll always be upfront about what needs fixing and what it'll cost.
