The main water shutoff in most Brookline homes is on the first pipe that enters the building, usually in the basement or a utility closet near the front wall, close to the water meter. In a condo, the unit often has its own shutoff on a riser or at the meter closet. Turn it clockwise until it stops, then open a low tap to drain the pipes.
Do it once on a dry day so you know it works. If it will not turn, or leaks around the stem, do not force it. A stuck valve is a repair job, and the plumbing behind it might be older than you think. When a pipe is already spraying, call (617) 752-0573 right away. Our burst pipe repair dispatch is open 24/7.
Where to look, room by room
Water arrives from the street in a single service line, usually 3/4 inch or 1 inch. The shutoff sits just inside the wall where it enters.
- Basement or cellar. Walk the front foundation wall. Look for a pipe coming through the masonry with a valve and a meter close by.
- Utility or boiler room. Often the same wall as the heating equipment. Follow the cold supply back to the wall.
- Under the kitchen sink or in a closet. Ground-floor condos and some multi-families put the entry valve behind an access panel.
- Outside. Look for a curb box cover in the sidewalk or lawn. This is the street valve, and it needs a special key.
- No luck. Follow the meter. Where the meter sits, a valve sits within a foot or two on either side.
Valve stuck and water running?
Call the Town's 24/7 emergency line for the street valve, then call us.
What kind of valve do you have?
Older homes tend to have one of two types. Tell them apart before you grab a wrench.
- Gate valve (round handle). Turns several times. Older ones seize with mineral and age, and a stem can snap if forced.
- Ball valve (lever handle). A quarter turn. Lever parallel to the pipe means open. Perpendicular means closed.
- Globe valve. Rounded body, round handle. It restricts flow, so you may see lower pressure once it ages.
- Curb stop. A buried street valve. In Brookline the Town's water crews operate it, not you.
What a stuck valve is telling you
A gate valve that spins freely but does not cut off water has a broken stem or a washer that fell off. A valve that is rock hard has corroded internals. A valve that weeps at the handle has dried packing. Each of these is a repair, and each one is a risk the next time you really need it.
Do not put a pipe wrench on a gate valve for extra force. A cheap valve can break and release the full line. Call, ask the Town to close the street valve, and let a technician replace the valve.
How to shut off and restore water safely
Turn the handle clockwise (right to close) until firm. For a lever, swing it a quarter turn across the pipe. Open the lowest faucet in the house to drain pressure, and flush the toilets once.
Switch off the water heater before restarting if the tank has been drained, because a dry tank can burn out an element. To restore, open the valve slowly, then open a high faucet so air can escape. Check every visible joint for drips for several minutes.
If you have a leak that cannot be stopped by the main, the break is likely on the street side of the valve. That is a different call, covered below.
Do these next
The first ten minutes decide how much damage you have.
- Turn off the water heater (at the breaker for electric, at the gas control for gas) so it does not run dry.
- Move electronics and rugs out of the wet area, and stay away from outlets near standing water.
- Photograph the damage for your insurer before you mop.
- Open the lowest tap to drain the lines and relieve pressure.
- Call us at (617) 752-0573 and tell dispatch what you shut off and whether it stopped the flow.
Condo and multi-family buildings
In a condo, a unit shutoff might serve only your apartment, or it might feed the whole floor. Ask your management company where each is and who may operate it. Shutting the building main from a basement closet may be a board matter.
If water is coming through your ceiling, the source is above you. Call the upstairs owner and the manager, and call us. Our leak detection work can trace a leak that runs inside a wall before anyone opens it. The same applies in the triple-deckers and flats we visit in Brighton and Jamaica Plain.
The meter, the street valve and the Town emergency line
Brookline's Water and Sewer Division says the homeowner is responsible for the service line from the sidewalk shutoff valve to the building (per the Town's published FAQ). So the street valve is the Town's, and everything from there inward is yours. If the break is between the curb box and your wall, you pay for the repair, and our water service line repair crews handle that.
The Town lists its Water and Sewer emergency line as 617-730-2175, answered 24 hours a day (per the Town's Water Supply page). The business line is 617-730-2170, weekdays 7 to 3. Call the emergency line if water is flowing from the street, a main is leaking or you need the street valve closed.
The Town reported replacing about 5,200 water meters in 2025 (per its 2025 water quality report). If your meter has no shutoff on one side, ask the billing office at 617-730-2170 before touching it. The median Brookline home was built in 1938 (U.S. Census American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024), so expect older gate valves.
Main shutoff questions
Usually in the basement on the front wall, close to the water meter. In some buildings it is in a utility closet or behind a panel in the first-floor kitchen. Follow the cold line from the meter.
Clockwise closes a round-handle valve. For a lever handle, turn it so the lever sits across the pipe. Open a low faucet to drain the lines.
No. Gate valves can snap and release the full line. Call the Town's emergency line to close the street valve if water is running, then call us to replace the valve.
Call the Town of Brookline Water and Sewer emergency line at 617-730-2175. The Town maintains the public main and the sidewalk valve. Your side starts at that valve.
Usually next to the main shutoff, just inside the wall where the service line enters. In condos it can be in a shared meter room. Your management company or the Town billing office can confirm.
Yes. Look for small stops under sinks and behind toilets. They are a good test before a repair, and they save you from using the main.
Yes. Dispatch is open 24/7, and we offer same-day appointments when available. Shut the main if you can, then call.
Want the valve tested before winter?
Call (617) 752-0573 and ask about a check.