Ottumwa Water Works

A stop box is a valve located between the water main and your home. Often, you can see a metal cap approximately 4-6 inches in diameter in your lawn near the street or in your sidewalk or driveway. Stop boxes allow Ottumwa Water Works employees to turn off the water to your home.

Most often, this is done at the homeowner's request so plumbing repairs can be made or when someone is moving out of the property and wants the water service terminated. On rare occasions, Ottumwa Water Works will turn off the water to a property due to a payment collection issue. To avoid having your water cut off, please contact our office to make payment arrangements if you are unable to pay your bill in a timely fashion.

If it is not operational (after many years, it can corrode and break), the homeowner is responsible for repairing the stop box as well as the service line from the home to the water main. Ottumwa Water Works maintains and repairs the water main, as well as the water meter and meter reading equipment.

I’m renting a new property. How do I start service?

You may fill out our application for service.

Applications may also be found outside of our office in a black mailbox on the side of the blue payment box. The Water Works office is located at 230 Turner St. in Ottumwa.

What is a stop box? What is it used for? If it is broken, who's responsible for fixing it?

You may fill out our application for service.

Applications may also be found outside of our office in a black mailbox on the side of the blue payment box. The Water Works office is located at 230 Turner St. in Ottumwa.