Issue with plumbing: Valve placed below ground

I am just about to give the final payment to my swimming pool contractor. Before I give him the last check I need to address a concern that doesn't quite sit well with me. Forgive my cluelessness, but I do not know what valve this is pictured in the photo below but I do know that it is placed under ground.

<a href="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n63/DylanHerrera/Pool%20Equipment/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_0529.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n63/DylanHerrera/Pool%20Equipment/IMG_0529.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

When I asked the contractor to move the valve above ground this is what he did...

<a href="http://s109.photobucket.com/albums/n63/DylanHerrera/Pool%20Equipment/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_0540.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n63/DylanHerrera/Pool%20Equipment/IMG_0540.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Upon inspection, it seems that all he did was make a crater under the valve and place rock around the hole. This isn't going to work. When I confronted him about his rigging job, he said that he couldn't do much more about the valve - saying that it needed to be below the check valve and below the hose for the sand filter. Is this correct? What would you do? Apparently the valve will only be used to drain the spa in the event I need a repair, he said I wouldn't ever really use it. But non the less it bother the crap out of me.