A curb box (also known as a valve box, buffalo box, b-box, or in British English stopcock chamber) is a vertical cast iron sleeve, accessible from the public way, housing the shut-off valve (curb cock or curb stop) for a property's water service line.[1][2][3] It is typically located between a building and the district's water main lines and usually consists of a metal tube with a removable or sliding lid, allowing access to the turn-key within.[4] It typically serves as the point denoting the separation of utility-maintained and privately maintained water facilities.

The name buffalo box, the first word often capitalized, is applied to curb boxes because they originated in Buffalo, New York.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Service Lines". The City of Chicago Heights, IL. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Valve Boxes and Curb Boxes Information". Engineering 360. IEEE GlobalSpec. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Curb Box". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  4. ^ American Water Works Association (2011-01-12). Water Distribution Operator Training Handbook Third Ed. American Water Works Association. p. 141. ISBN 978-1-58321-014-7.
  5. ^ Weiland, Phil (9 February 1996). "No buffaloes in Hammond's buffalo boxes". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.