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STV News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- STV News
Above-average rainfall needed for water levels to recover from dry spell
A sustained period of 'well above average rainfall' is needed if Scotland is to recover from its driest start to the year since 1964, experts warn. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said some parts of Fife have seen 'no measurable rainfall' for more than a month, and the ongoing dry spell has seen many of Scotland's rivers fall to 'record lows'. The lack of rain has now seen six more Scottish river catchments, including the Tay, Spey and Annan, being moved to 'moderate scarcity' status, bringing the total number to 17. The areas affected cover the east coast of Aberdeenshire, down to the Scottish Borders, and across the south of the country to Dumfries and Galloway. SEPA said moderate scarcity means there is a 'clear' environmental impact from the lack of water, and 'action is expected from abstractors (such as agriculture and industry) to protect rivers and the species that rely on them'. Eilidh Johnston, SEPA's senior manager in water industry and rural economy, warned the agency may have to take 'measures' to restrict water use if the dry weather continues. 'A few days of rain will not undo months of drier than average weather,' she said. 'We need well above average rainfall over a sustained period to see any recovery, especially in the east. 'It has been the driest start to a year in Scotland since 1964. Fife has had no significant rain for over a month and groundwater levels are some of the lowest on record for the time of year. So, we're seeing some quite significant issues coming. 'I'm urging anyone who has a licence from Sepa to take water from the environment to ensure you are doing everything you can to use water efficiently. 'If the weather continues without significant additional rain, we'll have to take measures to reduce the amount of water that can be taken from the environment. 'The steps you take now are very important in delaying that action.' A huge thanks to our customers up & down the country for helping us save water during the driest start to the year since 1964! You are helping us save 60million litres per day, keep it up! 🏴 💧 Every drop counts 👉 — Scottish Water (@scottish_water) May 19, 2025 With rain forecast over the coming days the agency has also warned of environmental risks from the first heavy rainfall following a dry spell, due to the water washing pollutants from roads and land into rivers. The agency explained this can create a 'short-term shock' to ecosystems, which it said is a 'known risk' for fish deaths. It appealed to anyone concerned about a 'fish kill' to report it to Sepa as soon as possible so they can ensure there is no ongoing pollution incident. Scottish Water earlier issued a statement thanking Scots for saving 60 million litres of water a day, which it said was helping the company 'protect resources and maintain normal supplies across the country'. Kes Juskowiak, a Scottish Water director, said: 'We'd like to say a massive thank-you to everyone who has helped reduce water demand by using what is a precious resource as efficiently as possible, but we need customers to continue their support and to take whatever measures they can to do so. 'The system remains under significant pressure and so we'd like to encourage everyone to continue to use Scotland's water as efficiently as possible.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
20-05-2025
- Climate
- STV News
Demand for water drops by around 60 million litres a day, Scottish Water says
A water supplier estimates that demand for water has decreased by around 60 million litres a day in the last week, following an appeal to urge the public to reduce how much they are using. Scottish Water says data has indicated the demand has significantly dropped, with a peak of around 2,000 million litres reportedly needed per day last week. The supplier says the amount of water saved could supply half of Fife for a day, and it said the shortage coincided with the driest start to the year since 1964. Scottish Water says the decrease comes as a result of the public reducing their use of garden sprinklers and hoses, taking shorter showers and minimising the time taps are turned on for. With the weather due to be fairly dry throughout the remainder of the week, the supplier asked the public for its continued efforts. It said that even if rainfall picks up later this week and next, it is unlikely to make much of a difference in reservoir levels, which it says have fallen from 91% last week to 77% this week, 13% lower than the average of 90% for this time of year. Kes Juskowiak, a Scottish Water director, said: 'We'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped reduce water demand by using what is a precious resource as efficiently as possible, but we need customers to continue their support and to take whatever measures they can to do so. 'The system remains under significant pressure and so we'd like to encourage everyone to continue to use Scotland's water as efficiently as possible. 'Gardeners can have a particularly big impact by switching off sprinklers and using watering cans instead. 'But we can all play our part through simple steps like shorter showers and turning the tap off when we brush our teeth. It all adds up.' Scottish Water said individuals use around 178 litres of water a day in Scotland, whereas in England and Wales the average is 137 litres per day. The corporation is due to launch its Water Is Always Worth Saving campaign next month, which aims to show the public more ways in which they can reduce water usage. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
'More help needed' despite Scottish Water customers saving 60 million litres a day since warning
Scots were slapped with a warning to reduce water usage after the country saw the driest start to a year since 1964. Scots were hit with a stark warning to reduce their water usage last week following the driest start to a year in Scotland since 1964. And although improvements have been made, there is still a long way to go. Scots were asked to take shorter showers, switch off sprinklers, use watering cans and avoid using hoses where possible, although advice stopped short of calling for a full hosepipe ban for the first time in 30 years. Scottish Water said that, since the middle of April, Scots had been using around an extra 150 million litres of water a day. April was the UK's hottest ever, with mini-heatwaves at either end of the month and less rain than usual. May has continued in the same vein, although no records have been broken as of yet. Nevertheless, it seems last week's call for people to use water efficiently has been heeded, according to new data from Scottish Water. The utility estimates that demand for water has reduced by about 60 millions litres per day – enough to supply about half of Fife with water for a day – from its peak of more than 2000 million litres per day last week. The significant decrease will help the utility to protect resources and maintain normal supplies across the country. But as the generally dry weather is forecast to last for most of this week, customers are being urged to keep it up. Water levels have fallen from an average of 81 per cent last week to 77 per cent now – 13 per cent below the average of 90 per cent for this time of year and 16 per cent below levels of 93 per cent this time last year. "We'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped reduce water demand by using what is a precious resources as efficiently as possible," Kes Juskowiak, a Scottish Water Director, said. "But we need customers to continue their support and to take whatever measures they can to do so. "The system remains under significant pressure and so we we'd like to encourage everyone to continue to use Scotland's water as efficiently as possible. "Gardeners can have a particularly big impact by switching off sprinklers and using watering cans instead. "But we can all play our part through simple steps like shorter showers and turning the tap off when we brush our teeth. It all adds up." How can Scots help save water? • Using water efficiently in the garden and outdoor spaces by using a watering can instead of a garden hose where possible and avoiding using sprinklers • Taking shorter showers • Turning the tap off when brushing teeth • Using washing machines and dishwashers only when fully loaded • Using a bucket and sponge rather than a hose to wash the car Keith also noted that we are individually using an average of 178 litres of water per person per day in Scotland, which is higher than in England and Wales where people use an average of 137 litres per person per day. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Customers are reminded they can also save money while using water more tactfully. If a household of four takes just two minutes off their showers, they can save 5,000 litres of water a year and cut about £100 off their energy bill. What's more, by putting a full load in your washing machine washing at 30 degrees rather than 40 degrees, they can save on water and on energy consumption by 57 per cent. here.
