The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has confirmed that Scotland’s water scarcity situation is worsening, with a further decline in river levels following another dry week and only limited rainfall forecast in the days ahead.
This week’s Water Situation Report, published online by SEPA on 22 May, shows that six additional river catchments have moved to Moderate Scarcity. The risk of water scarcity is categorised in four levels – Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity and Significant Scarcity.
The addition of the Tay, Spey, Annan, Nith, Dee (Galloway) and Cree brings the total number of river catchments now at Moderate Scarcity to 17. This covers the east coast Aberdeenshire down to the Scottish Borders and across the south of the country to Dumfries & Galloway.
While rain is forecast this weekend and the start of next week, it will not reverse the effects of weeks of dry conditions. Some parts of Fife have seen no measurable rain for over a month, and many rivers remain at record lows. The River Tilt in Tayside is at its lowest flow in 34 years of records, and the River Spey has seen its lowest May flow since records began in 1952.
Eilidh Johnston, SEPA’s Senior Manager in Water Industry and Rural Economy, said:
“Some of Scotland’s most iconic rivers are at record lows, and the environmental impacts are clear. A few days of rain will not undo months of drier than average weather. 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.”
