Rand Water issued an urgent advisory to residents and businesses across Heidelberg ahead of a planned water interruption scheduled for mid-December.

The outage will result from essential maintenance at the Zuikerbosch Water Purification Plant, which directly feeds the Mapleton system supplying Heidelberg.

The shutdown will start at 04:00 on December 13 and continue for 48 hours.

However, officials warn that water might not be immediately restored once maintenance is completed.

After the work concludes, Heidelberg’s reservoirs will need time to refill and stabilise before normal pressure and supply can resume.

System demand consumption levels, weather conditions and overall network pressure could influence this recovery period.

As a result, Rand Water and the Lesedi Local Municipality caution that they cannot provide a firm timeline for full restoration. Some areas may experience prolonged low pressure or no water for several days after December 15.

Plan ahead:

• Store sufficient water for household and operational needs;

• Prepare for extended low-pressure or dry periods;

• Review contingency plans, especially for essential services, food outlets and community facilities.

Rand Water emphasised that the maintenance is part of its long-term infrastructure programme to improve system reliability and ensure a sustainable water supply for the region.