Prepare for Scheduled Water Cuts: 10-Minute Guide

Your council has announced a scheduled water cut in your area — usually for essential maintenance or pipe repairs. It's a nuisance, but it's not an emergency. The difference between a smooth cut and a headache is preparation. If you've been notified, you have time. Spend 10 minutes now doing these five things: find your main stopcock, fill containers with water, turn off your boiler, run your taps, and check your bathroom and kitchen for anything temperature-sensitive. When the cut starts, you'll stay calm because nothing will go wrong.

What to do right now (5 steps)

1. Find your main stopcock and label it.

The main stopcock (llave de paso general) controls water flow into your entire home. You need to know where it is before the cut happens. It's usually under the kitchen sink, inside a bathroom cupboard, or on the landing in older Spanish flats. In villas or houses with a garden, it may be by the gate or under a concrete cover at the boundary. Turn it a quarter-turn clockwise to test it — the water should stop. Turn it back fully. If it's stiff, don't force it; call a plumber now rather than risk breaking it during the cut.

2. Fill all available clean containers with water.

Don't just rely on bottled water. Fill:

• Your bath (if you have one)
• Large basins or buckets (at least three 10-litre buckets)
• A few bottles for drinking and cooking

This water is for flushing toilets, washing hands, and basic cleaning. You need far more than most people think. A single toilet flush uses 6–9 litres.

3. Turn off your boiler or water heater.

If you have an electric water tank (termo eléctrico), switch it off at the wall or mains. If you have a gas boiler (caldera de gas), turn off the mains gas valve and then switch off the boiler. Do this 30 minutes before the scheduled cut time. Why? When the water pressure drops, the heating element can overheat and fail, costing you hundreds to replace. Once water pressure is fully restored, turn it back on.

4. Run all your cold taps for 30 seconds each.

Kitchen tap, bathroom taps, shower. This empties the supply pipes and reduces the air that will be trapped when the water is cut off.

5. Check for anything temperature-sensitive.

Washing machines, dishwashers, and thermal underfloor heating systems should not run during a water cut. If your machine is mid-cycle, let it finish before the cut starts. Don't start a new cycle once the announcement is made.

Why water cuts happen and how long they last

Councils announce scheduled water cuts to repair burst mains pipes, update pumping stations, or carry out essential network maintenance. These cuts are planned; emergency cuts (due to a burst pipe) are not. You'll be told the exact time window — usually between 4 and 12 hours, though sometimes longer. A cut from 9am to 5pm is common. Some regions, especially inland in summer, may experience cuts without notice due to drought restrictions; check your local council website for alerts.

Safe temporary fixes while the water is off

Use your stored water wisely.

For toilet flushing, fill a large jug or bucket with water and pour it down the bowl. A full flush uses around 9 litres; a half-flush uses 4.5 litres. Your stored bathwater is perfect for this.

Shower with a basin of water.

If the cut lasts more than a few hours, you can wash with a basin of warm water heated on the stove. It's not comfortable, but it's better than nothing. Do this in your bathroom or kitchen to contain spillage.

Keep your taps closed.

Leave all taps in the fully closed position during the cut. When the pressure drops to zero, if a tap is left even slightly open, it can trap air and create an airlock. Once pressure returns, these trapped air pockets will burst out of your taps violently (often with brown water). This is normal, but it's annoying. Keep taps closed until after the water returns.

Do not run your heating or hot water.

Any system that relies on water circulation should be off. This includes radiators with thermostatic valves, underfloor heating, and solar heating systems.

When NOT to attempt anything yourself

Do not open your boiler or heating system. If you think air is trapped in your heating pipes, do not try to bleed radiators or open isolation valves during or immediately after the cut. Wait for the pressure to stabilise fully, then run a cold tap for 2–3 minutes. If the heating still won't work after that, call a professional plumber.

Do not try to bypass the main stopcock or manipulate the water meter. If you're worried about the cut affecting you, you have no legitimate option to avoid it. The cut is universal; your home will be fine.

Do not use chemicals to "protect" your pipes. No chemical additive will help. The pipes are empty; they cannot corrode because there's no water. Leave them alone.

Do not turn on major appliances immediately after the water returns. Wait 15–20 minutes for the pressure to stabilise and for the air pockets to clear from the mains pipes. Then turn on your heating and washing machines if needed.

What happens when the water returns

When pressure comes back, you'll hear a surge of water and air through the pipes. This is normal. You may hear banging or hissing. You may see brown or cloudy water from the taps — this is rust or sediment in the main pipes, not a problem with your home. Run your cold taps (kitchen first, then bathrooms) for 2–3 minutes until the water runs clear. Then turn your boiler back on and wait 10 minutes before using hot water.

If you hear continued banging (water hammer) or if water doesn't return after 30 minutes past the announced end time, contact your council's emergency line. Do not call your plumber; this is a municipal issue.

How to stop future water cuts from disrupting you

Check your council's website monthly for maintenance schedules. Many councils publish cuts 4–6 weeks in advance. Subscribe to alerts if your municipality offers them.

Keep your stopcock accessible. If it's painted over or blocked, ask the council to access it during the next planned cut. A jammed stopcock in a real emergency is a nightmare.

Don't assume your boiler is protected. Even modern boilers can suffer thermal shock if you don't turn them off before a cut. Make it a habit.

Have a plumber's number saved. If something does go wrong immediately after the water returns — a leak, a heating failure, a toilet that won't stop running — you'll need to act quickly. Professional plumbers on the coast are used to post-cut issues and can usually respond within 24 hours.

Scheduled water cuts are inconvenient, but they're not emergencies if you prepare. Ten minutes of work before the cut — finding your stopcock, filling containers, and turning off your boiler — means you'll have no surprises when the water stops. If something does go wrong after the water returns, our network of registered plumbers can help within hours. Have your council's notification email to hand with the exact cut times, and you're ready.