Despite Scotland experiencing a very wet autumn and winter, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has reminded abstractors that they still need to plan ahead in case conditions change.
SEPA has published the first Water Situation Report of 2024, providing information on water stores in the ground, lochs and reservoirs.
Weather conditions over autumn and winter have a major influence on water resources and the risk of water scarcity in the following summer.
SEPA issued a record number of regional Flood Alerts and local Flood Warnings to the public this winter. A total of 720 messages were sent between 1st September 2023 and 16th February 2024. The previous record of 714 was set over autumn and winter 2015/16.
Areas along the east coast of Scotland saw higher than average rainfall throughout autumn and winter, with some parts seeing 170% of the winter average. Elsewhere rainfall totals have been within the normal range, and natural water storage in lochs and groundwater is between normal and high for this time of year.
However, if the country experiences particularly dry weather over spring and summer it could still lead to water scarcity and water users are urged to keep an eye on the situation and plan ahead to manage water supplies sustainably.
Stephen McGuire, Senior Hydrology Specialist at SEPA, said:
“It would be easy to look at the amount of rain Scotland has seen over the last few months and think that water scarcity isn’t an issue. The risk is currently lower than normal as a result, but the reality is we can’t rule out a repeat of the water shortages businesses have experienced in previous years – if we have drier than average conditions over the next few months things can change quite quickly.
“Water abstractors licensed by SEPA need to make sure they are prepared to deal with water scarcity, so I would encourage them to consider how to improve their business resilience and manage water wisely during prolonged dry conditions. We can help by providing advice and guidance on ways to reduce pressure on the water environment.
“Taking the right steps now will lower the likelihood of resources reaching a critical level again this summer and SEPA having to suspend licences to protect the water environment.”
