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One of the most important components in your STEP System is the Shutoff Valve. This Shutoff Valve allows you to isolate your system from the STEP System Mainline. This is important should there be a need to perform maintenance on the Mainline or there is a critical failure at your homes connection to the Mainline. Whatever the reason if the need arises we must be able to immediately isolate you from the mainline. Therefore, locating and providing easy access to this Shutoff Valve is critical for you, the Homeowner, and for the STEP Association Maintenance team. This picture is included to help you locate your Shutoff Valve and to describe where the Homeowner's system service and maintenance responsibilities begin and end.

What you see in this picture represents a typical STEP System design. Highlighted are the System Mainline, the Water Meter and the Shutoff Valve. In a typical installation there is a valve box installed on the property providing access to this Shutoff Valve. If is not present on your property you can locate it by first finding your City Water Meter. STEP Design required that the Shutoff Valve be located between 10 and 15 feet from the City Water Meter. To find your Shutoff Valve first find the Water Meter. From the Meter walk 10 feet into your property walking a line parallel to the STEP System Mainline. At 10 feet start probing the ground with a shovel or heavy pry bar. Below the surface is a 6 inch PVC pipe with a plastic end cap on it. You are trying to hit that end cap. Once you find it we recommend that you remove the dirt from that area and install a value box for easy access to the shutoff valve.

The Shutoff Valve is the responsibility demarcation. Two lines have been added to this picture to highlight responsibilities. One line moves toward the STEP System Mainline and the other moving into the Homeowner's property. Homeowner's are responsible for all system service and maintenance from the Shutoff Valve into the property. All service and maintenance of the STEP System from the Shutoff Valve toward the street is the responsibility of the STEP Association.
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Once you find and expose the Shutoff valve box open it and you will see something similar to the picture included here. In this picture you can see the red handled Shutoff Valve, (red handled Ball Valve), down in the enclosure. Turn the red handle to the left and you close the valve and isolate yourself from the mainline. When you do this nothing can get beyond that valve, in or out. When the red handle is running parallel with the pipe, as this one is, it is open and your home is connected to the mainline.

Important Note: If you ever need to close this valve you must turn the power off to your STEP System pump. Failure to do so would cause your pump to run non-stop potentially damaging your pump. Once you have turned off power to the pump you can still use your water but we recommend limiting the use of water. Be very selective. If the STEP vaults fill there is only one place for the waste to go, out the seals in your toilets and bath tubes.