Could you turn off the water in an emergency?

It’s a New Year and time to review some of the basics of plumbing safety:

• If the emergency involves a specific fixture or appliance, first look for its shutoff valve and turn it clockwise to shut off the water to that fixture or appliance only.
• The valve is usually located underneath a fixture such as a sink or a toilet, or behind an appliance, such as a clothes washer, at the point where the water supply pipe (or pipes) connects to it.
• If the problem is not with a particular fixture or appliance, or if there's no shutoff valve for the fixture or appliance, use the main shutoff valve to turn off the water supply to the entire house.
• You'll find the main shutoff valve on the inside or outside of your house where the main water supply pipe enters. In cold climates, look just inside the foundation wall in the basement or crawl space. Turn the valve clockwise to shut it off.
• If you need a wrench to turn the valve, keep one, specially labeled near the valve so it's handy.
• Tag the main shut off and water meter with two phone numbers; the water company’s and 1-800-MR-RUSSO (1-800-677-8776)
• If the main shutoff valve itself is defective and needs to be repaired, call your water company; they can send someone out with the special tool that's required to shut off the water at the street before it reaches the valve.
• Ask any Russo Bros. & Co. technician to tag these shut offs so they can be found easily in an emergency.