Water Scarcity Restrictions Introduced In Scotland
Some significantly hot and dry weather conditions have been seen all over the UK in 2025 – and Scotland has certainly not been exempt from this, with rainfall data showing that every month of the year thus far has been drier than average on the east coast of the country.
And in some places, figures show that this deficit goes all the way back to June last year, with approximately 40 per cent less rainfall than the long-term average.
As a result of this prolonged rain shortfall, coupled with the warm spring and summer we’ve just enjoyed, rivers, soils and groundwater levels have been put under increasing amounts of pressure.
Now, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has imposed the country’s first water scarcity restrictions to help protect the sustainability of local rivers in the Ythan and North Fife catchment areas, which have now reached Significant Scarcity.
Every affected farmer and business will be written to by the organisation, informing them of the restrictions that are now in place and when they will come into force.
They will be temporary and lifted as soon as conditions allow for this, but licence holders are reminded that the measures are vital to protect the environment, local communities and wildlife that depend on healthy rivers.
Elsewhere in Scotland, the Deveron, Don, Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay and Tyne (Lothian) catchment areas are under sustained stress and have been classified as in Moderate Scarcity for an extended period of time. The Tweed, Almond and Spey catchments were recently escalated to this same level.
Head of environmental performance with the SEPA Chris Dailly said: “The water environment in parts of Scotland is clearly under stress and protecting it remains a top priority.
“We recognise the challenges that farmers and other businesses face, but no one should be caught off guard – we’ve been speaking directly to licence holders across the summer.
“If you abstract water you should already have plans in place to reduce volumes, stagger abstractions and follow the conditions of your licence.”
Unless consistent rainfall is seen, other catchment areas could be elevated to Significant Scarcity over the coming days and weeks.
And, in fact, the SEPA has just announced this week (August 26th) that this is now the case for the Deveron catchment, the third region in eastern Scotland to be classified as such.
Between January and August, the Deveron saw the highest number of days at low flow since 1976, with rivers struggling to recover, even in the face of short bursts of heavy rain that have been seen over the last few weeks or so.
Advice for abstractors
Becoming more water resilient makes excellent business sense, particularly since climate change and rising global temperatures are expected to make water stress and scarcity increasingly prevalent in the future.
Being able to remain operational when asked to restrict the amount of water you use will certainly make a significant difference to your bottom line.
Advice from the SEPA for businesses to help them save money and become more resilient to the impact of prolonged dry conditions includes:
– Monitoring water usage and planning for efficient water management across a range of conditions, keeping equipment in good working order
– Understanding the risk of water scarcity in your local area, as well as to your business
– Reviewing your current infrastructure and working out the costs and benefits of abstraction and business water values
– Investigate more innovative ways of working to potentially become more water efficient
Managing water scarcity
Throughout the year, businesses are advised to keep an eye on water scarcity reports and stay on top of local water situations, as well as fixing leaks, checking over abstraction equipment and working with neighbouring sites to minimise and stagger abstractions.
Reducing the volume and rate of abstractions is another recommended course of action to reduce the need for restrictions and make the best use of the water that is available.
Further water sustainability advice
If, as a business, you’re keen to prioritise water sustainability so you can help protect the environment and build resilience into your processes and procedures, right across the supply chain, get in touch with the SwitchWaterSupplier.com team to see how we can help.
There are various strategies that can be employed to help you reduce water usage and consumption, but we can help you find the most appropriate course of action for you and your organisation, helping you to save water and money at the same time.