Managing appurtenances within a water supply network can be a challenge for utilities. Condition assessment provides one means of gaining the information needed to make management decisions. This article presents results from research undertaken to develop guidance on such assessments, focusing primarily on isolation valves and hydrants. An overview of the research is given, with specific emphasis on the insights gained from interactions with utilities in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The results show that a broad range of management strategies are used—e.g., some utilities assess all valves on a cyclic basis, whereas others have no program of assessments at all. Inspection intervals specified in industry guidelines are not generally applied, and pragmatic approaches to inspections tend to be used. In the face of resource constraints, the authors concluded that utilities should adopt a risk‐based approach that focuses maintenance efforts on “critical” valves.