Water scarcity alert for east of Scotland

While the recent return to showery weather might have been enough to disrupt spraying and haymaking plans, it hasn’t been enough to reverse the water scarcity around much of the east of the country.

And yesterday the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) warned that conditions had continued to get drier in East Lothian, Falkirk, Dundee, Fife and northeast Aberdeenshire – and more of the country was added to the “Alert” level.

The situation requires businesses which rely on water from the environment to start taking action to ensure they are being efficient – including checks of their equipment and abstracting at night to minimise evaporation.

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SEPA said that multiple industries in Scotland relied on a consistent water resource for their operations including farming, whisky production, golf and hydropower energy.

Nathan Critchlow-Watton, head of Water and Planning at SEPA.Nathan Critchlow-Watton, head of Water and Planning at SEPA.
Nathan Critchlow-Watton, head of Water and Planning at SEPA.

“There continues to be a split for water scarcity in Scotland, with most of the west experiencing normal conditions and the east at an Early Warning stage,” said head of water and planning at SEPA, Nathan Critchlow-Watton.

He said that SEPA would continue to monitor the situation closely and manage water resources in line with the country’s National Water Scarcity Plan – adding that businesses could play their part by following advice on using water efficiently and having a plan for when resources started to deplete.

“Water scarcity will become a more regular occurrence in Scotland as a result of climate change, but we’re here to help and minimise the impacts on both the environment and key sectors across the country,” stated Critchlow-Watton.

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