Reduce Water Usage Now, Scottish Households Urged

Domestic water users in Scotland have been called upon by the chief executive of Scottish Water to take drastic action urgently to reduce resource consumption amid the growing pressures of climate change, which is driving water scarcity in the country.

In an interview with the Guardian, Alex Plant – formerly head of strategy with Anglian Water – explained that Scotland is now on the brink of severe water shortages following the driest spring seen since 1964… an event that is merely a taste of what the future holds in terms of extreme weather.

As drier conditions continue to take hold in line with rising global temperatures, prioritising water sustainability will become increasingly important – and yet, Mr Plant noted that the average Scot currently uses 40 per cent more water than those in Yorkshire, in large part because there’s a mistaken yet widespread assumption that water in Scotland is abundant.

Scottish water scarcity

At the start of July, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) announced that although recent rainfall had been seen towards the end of June, levels were insufficient to deliver much in the way of recovery across most of the country.

Persistent low river flows are still being seen, especially in the east – and well above-average rainfall will be necessary in order to reverse the effects.

Currently, eight river catchments – the Spey, Deveron, Don, Ythan, Dee, Firth of Tay, Tyne and Esk are all facing moderate scarcity risks, while the Findhorn, Almond and Firth of Forth catchments are still on Alert.

Many of those places at moderate scarcity risk have seen less than 70 per cent of their average rainfall since the beginning of the year… and many of the associated river flow stations saw the highest number of days at low flows on record over the first half of 2025.

The SEPA is now calling on everyone from domestic users to farmers, industry, producers and manufacturers to start using water more efficiently, managing shared resources as responsibly as possible.

Kenny Boag, the head of environmental performance with the organisation, said: “We’ve had rain in some areas but not widespread recovery. Although there has been relief in the west, most of the east coast continues to experience water stress.

“Many catchments remain under significant pressure and the water environment is still in a vulnerable state. More rain is forecast over the next few days, but we need sustained rainfall in the right places over weeks, not just days, to make a real difference.”

Water shortages

Scotland currently has a deficit of 60 million litres per day during drought conditions, according to the Guardian, but it’s predicted that this could increase to 240 million litres per day come 2050.

Scottish Water’s Mr Plant explained to the news source that the utility company – which supplies almost all of Scotland’s homes and businesses with water – could have to spend up to £50 billion by 2050 to adapt the water and sewage network to ensure resilience in the face of climate change.

However, if consumers took significant voluntary action to reduce water usage and consumption, this deficit could be slashed alongside the £50 billion bill, since Scottish Water is hampered in its ability to borrow money by public ownership rules.

Such action has already seen some success, Mr Plant continued, noting that customers responded favourably to an appeal made during the drought in May, succeeding in reducing water consumption by 60 million litres per day.

Other measures being considered include the use of water consumption monitors. A pilot project is currently underway in Dundee, with such monitors installed in 2,000 homes to see if it would be worth rolling out nationwide.

These metres wouldn’t be used to charge people but rather to help Scottish Water monitor water usage and educate people on how much they’re using.

How can businesses help?

We do all have our own individual responsibilities when it comes to being more water efficient, this is true, but businesses in particular are well placed to make significant inroads in this regard.

In order to improve your water footprint, however, you need to have a more in-depth understanding of how and where you’re using resources.

If you’re keen to find out, get in touch with the SwitchWaterSupplier.com team to see how we can help.

We’ll carry out a water audit across your entire site to identify the most effective water-saving solutions for you, all of which can be adjusted over time to account for any changes in operations. Give us a call today to get started on your water conservation ambitions.