Sepa warns of early signs of water scarcity as dry spell continues

Early signs of water scarcity are emerging in parts of Scotland amid ongoing dry weather, an environment watchdog has warned.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said businesses must take action to manage their water usage, ensuring they have adapted for climate resilience.

In its latest Water Situation Update, the agency said March saw below-average rainfall across most of the country.

It said some areas in the south of Scotland saw less than a third of what they would usually expect, following the trend raised in Sepa’s winter water situation report for 2025.

Freya Hughes, 4, from Paisley, on the beach at Lunderston Bay beach this week as Scotland basks in a stretch of good spring weather | National World

Parts of Angus and Fife have seen 10 months of below-average rainfall, having had less than half of what is normal for March, and only Shetland recorded above-average rainfall.

Sepa said rivers throughout Scotland are running low to extremely low for the time of year, and groundwater levels are dipping further.

Levels are lower than those recorded in April 2022, with Fife and Angus being the worst off in Scotland.

The only area of the country with groundwater levels above normal for the time of year is Moray, reflecting the higher-than-average rainfall in this area over the winter period, the agency said.

Kenny Boag, Sepa’s head of environmental performance, said: “Water scarcity is becoming a growing challenge in Scotland, and the data from March shows there is an increased risk that water scarcity could occur early in the season this year.

“As part of our commitment to helping Scotland become more climate resilient, we’ll continue to monitor the situation closely.

“Following on from this water situation update, our weekly water scarcity reporting will begin in May, unless the situation deteriorates sooner.

“This will provide regular updates on conditions to ensure businesses can prepare for any potential challenges ahead.”

He added: “We’ll continue to work closely with Scottish Government, businesses and key stakeholders – including the agricultural sector, industry and Scottish Water – over the coming months to monitor water levels, manage resources sustainably, support adaptation measures and ensure the correct balance is struck between protecting the environment and providing resources for human and economic activity.”

Sepa’s three-year, corporate plan highlights climate resilience as a strategic priority for the agency, helping businesses and communities adapt to the impacts of climate change and build in resilience to extreme weather events.

It said 2024 was an exception, where Scotland did not experience any significant water scarcity, due to better rainfall patterns.

Scottish Water assured the general public that the scarcity does not affect reservoir water supplies, but said it will mainly affect those in the agriculture sector, such as farmers and fruit and vegetable growers.

They said total reservoir storage sat at 92 per cent across Scotland as of last week, a 2 per cent increase on the week before, but added the overall level is 3 per cent down from the average of 95 per cent for this time of year across Scotland.

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We continually monitor our water resources and reservoir levels across the country are on average at slightly below the levels we would expect for this time of year.

“We would remind our customers that water is a precious resource which is always worth saving and it’s good at any time of year if people use only the water they need and think about how they use it.

“Things they can do to save water include taking shorter showers and turning the tap off when brushing teeth.”