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Beneath our footpaths and roadways is buried the network of infrastructure that supplies the modern city. Water, gas, telecommunications. Increasingly electricity cables are now underground.
To allow maintenance and safety, access boxes are installed protecting the stop valves for turning off gas and water to the supply desitnation – house, business, flats.
What is visible are small to large cast iron covers or lids in footpaths (sidewalks) and road ways.
Can be known as: Inspection Covers, Surface Boxes, Street Covers, etc.
Originally manufactured from cast iron, post WWII ductile iron more common. (Recycled plastic covers are beginning to be used.) The cast iron covers are mostly rectangular, square, round, square/round format.
This site documents the covers (lids) that are visible both on footpaths (sidewalks) and roadways.
These can vary in size from the large sewer covers that are more visible on roadways which often have ladders leading down. Less deep access covers include telecommunciaitons – often less than a metre deep. The smallest of these is the ones for water and gas. Which this site focuses on.
Many pages on Euro covers are included and regularly updated! Good coverage of Italy, France. Some from Asia as well.
More covers are being added irregularly so check back.
For the very latest updates see News under Information on top bar.
Read more in the Welcome Page here.
Read about how valve covers are constructed here.
Many thanks to the submissions made by Owen Genat.
See 'Australian Covers' with links to his images at Google.
Additional Covers Submissions from You:
Pictures / details always welcomed that can be added to this site.
Prefer Covers 300mm (12 inches) or under.
NOTE - This site is a documentation site only. Please do not contact for orders / consignments.
Featured image:
#779 - Group of covers in situ with 300mm (12 inch) ruler.
page updated 28 Sept 2023
contact me:
Paul Michell
[email protected]