Last reviewed and updated: 2026-09-24
If water is actively escaping, close your main shut-off valve first, usually where the supply enters the house, in a basement, crawlspace, garage or utility area, or at the meter box near the curb. Then cut power to any affected area at the breaker if water is near electrics, photograph everything before you move or clean anything, and call for help. If you smell gas instead, leave the building immediately and call 911 from outside.
If water is actively escaping, the main shut-off stops the loss and the bill. Once it is closed, most leaks become a normal-hours job: see what detection costs and the report an insurer will ask for.
Gas is different. If you smell rotten eggs or sulphur, do not touch any switch and do not investigate. Leave the building with everyone in it and call 911 and your gas utility from outside.
The first ten minutes
- Close the main water shut-off. Inside where the supply enters the house, or at the meter box near the curb. Turn clockwise. Learn where yours is before you need it.
- Kill power to the affected area at the breaker if water is anywhere near outlets, fittings or appliances. Do not stand in water to reach a panel.
- Open the lowest taps in the house to drain the remaining pressure out of the system.
- Photograph everything before you touch it. Standing water, damage, the source if visible, and your meter reading. This is your insurance evidence and it cannot be recreated later.
- Move what you can. Furniture, electronics, documents, rugs, out of the water.
- Start drying. Towels, a wet vacuum, fans, dehumidifier. Mold can establish within a day or two in Georgia humidity.
- Call for detection and repair, and notify your insurer if there is damage.
Is it actually an emergency?
| Situation | Response |
|---|---|
| Gas smell | Evacuate now, call 911 and the gas utility from outside |
| Water actively flooding | Shut the main off, then emergency call-out |
| Water near electrical outlets or the panel | Kill the breaker, shut the water off, emergency call-out |
| Ceiling bulging or sagging with water | Stay out from under it, shut the water off, emergency call-out |
| Sewage backing up indoors | Emergency: a health hazard as well as a plumbing problem |
| Warm patch on the floor, no flooding | Urgent but not same-minute. Shut the water off between uses and book a normal-hours visit |
| High bill, no visible water | Not an emergency. Run the meter test and book normally: you will pay less than an emergency rate |
Find your shut-off valve today. The middle of a flood is the worst possible time to discover you do not know where it is, or that it is seized. Locate it, label it, and check it turns.
Frequently asked questions
Where is my main water shut-off valve?
Usually where the supply enters the house, a basement, crawlspace, garage or utility area, or at the meter box near the curb. Turn clockwise to close. Find and label yours now rather than searching for it during an active leak.
What should I do first if a pipe bursts?
Close the main water shut-off valve. Then cut power at the breaker if water is near any electrics, open the lowest taps to drain the system, and photograph everything before moving or cleaning anything: that documentation is what supports an insurance claim.
Is a slab leak an emergency?
Urgent rather than same-minute. Water running under a foundation damages flooring, feeds mold and can move the soil beneath the slab, and the bill accrues daily. Closing the main valve between uses stops the loss while you book a normal-hours visit at a normal rate.
Should I call an emergency service for a high water bill?
No. A high bill with no visible water is not an emergency. Run the meter test, close the main valve if you want to stop the loss, and book a scheduled visit. You will avoid the emergency premium entirely.
What if I smell gas rather than see water?
Leave the building immediately with everyone in it. Do not switch anything electrical on or off and do not use a phone inside. From outside and well clear of the property, call 911 and your gas utility. Do not go back in until you are told it is safe.
How quickly does water damage become mold?
In Georgia humidity, mold can begin establishing within roughly 24 to 48 hours. That is why extraction and drying matter as much as stopping the leak, and why an insurer may question a claim where drying was delayed.