Water meter Key

Every one should have one.  Any hardware store or plumbing supply will have the key to shut the water off at the street.  If you have one in the house, ask a plumber how to turn it off and back on properly.  If you have a water meter in a box at the road and the lid is locked, there is another key for that as well.  It would be best to ask your plumber to sell you the correct key.  Some of the keys to the lids may also turn the water on and off.  The proper name for these keys may differ a little with respect to the area you live in.  They include meter key and cock key as the two most often used.

Closing a meter and opening a meter should be done with care.  The next time that there is a plumber at your house ask them the proper way to turn it off and more importantly how to turn them on with an emphasis on the speed in which it is turned.  If turned on to quickly you can/will blow apart fittings causing leaks.  I turn mine off anytime I leave for a trip away from home, even for the weekend.  There will be no swimming pools in/under my house.