This is so simple, yet so important: Do you know exactly where your home's main water shutoff is—and can you get to it quickly?

First, make sure you know where it is. If you're not sure, now is a good time to find out.

Second—and this is one I have to remind myself about—keep the area around it clear.

If you're like me, areas of the basement or utility room have a way of becoming storage space. Boxes and other things get put in front of something you rarely need to access.

Normally, that's no big deal. But if a pipe breaks, a washing machine hose lets go, or water suddenly starts going somewhere it shouldn't, you don't want to spend ten minutes moving things just to reach the shutoff.

An emergency, by definition, is something we didn't plan on.

You may go years—or even decades—without ever needing to shut off the main water supply to your home.

But when you need it, you need it.

So consider this a simple end-of-summer, early-fall reminder: find your main water shutoff, make sure you know how it works, and most importantly, make sure you can get to it quickly.

It's one of those little things that could make an enormous difference someday.

With You Every Step of the Way.