New plan aims to secure Scotland's water for the future
The plan follows the driest start to a year since 1964 and sets out a future-facing, comprehensive approach to ensuring water and wastewater services across the country remain sustainable, resilient, and affordable.
The plan addresses the daunting challenges the Scottish water industry faces in the next 25 years.
These challenges include increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts, storms, and floods.
Alex Plant, chief executive of Scottish Water (Image: Supplied) The population continues to fluctuate and change, and existing infrastructure needs to be replaced to meet modern demands and improve environmental conditions.
Three long-term outcomes were prioritised following a seven-week public consultation and included: making Scottish tap water a national resource; improving the quality of rivers and seas, and the prevention of sewer flooding through collaboration with communities; and enabling Scotland's sustainable and economic housing growth.
To achieve this, Scottish Water will focus on collaboration and partnerships, transforming operations to drive efficiencies, and reducing demand on services while helping customers use less water and manage surface rainwater efficiently.
Alex Plant, chief executive of Scottish Water, said: "More extreme weather events – as we've seen with the recent record dry spell – are becoming the new normal in Scotland.
"The risks of too little and too much rain are increasing and responding to those to avoid harm to customers and the environment is at the very heart of our long-term strategy.
"Everyone who lives in Scotland is a shareholder in Scottish Water and we all have a responsibility to protect our most precious resource."
The average daily water use per person in Scotland is currently among the highest in the UK at 178 litres of water compared to 137 litres combined average in England and Wales.
Scottish Water has warned that without adaptation, extreme weather could result in a water deficit of 240 million litres per day by 2050.
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