The effects of Scotland’s dry spring and summer are continuing to impact eastern Scotland, with four further areas days away from reaching the highest water scarcity level, potentially bringing the total at Significant Scarcity to eight.
The latest weekly Water Scarcity Report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows North Fife, Fife (East Neuk), Stonehaven and North Esk remain at Significant Scarcity.
Tay Estuary (North), Whiteadder Water, Berwickshire Coastal and the Lower Dee and Water of Feugh areas are now approaching the same level.
Six of these eight areas have already experienced Significant Scarcity this year.
Rainfall allowed river levels in the six previously affected areas to recover temporarily but did not reverse the underlying deficit which has built up over months of dry weather.
Recent rain has not brought lasting recovery
Further showery rain is forecast over the coming days. This may bring localised and short-term improvements, but sustained and widespread rainfall will be needed for a lasting recovery, particularly across eastern Scotland.
River flows remain low to very low across much of the east, with many catchments continuing to experience prolonged low flows. Ground conditions remain dry despite some recent improvement, while groundwater levels are also low to very low across much of the region.
Eilidh Johnston, SEPA Senior Leader in Compliance, said: “Looking out of the window, it may feel as though Scotland has had plenty of rain. But our monitoring shows that showers passing through have not reversed the effects of the prolonged dry weather.
“Think of exceptionally low river flows as the red zone on a car’s fuel gauge. Recent rain put some fuel back in the tank and helped these rivers move out of that red zone for a time, but it did not refill the tank. River levels have fallen again and the warning light is coming back on.
“That is why our decisions are based on environmental monitoring and long-term scientific evidence, not simply the weather we have experienced over the past few days. Our monitoring network allows us to see what is happening in rivers across Scotland and compare current conditions with records collected over many years.
“The question is not simply whether it rains, but how much rain falls, where it falls and whether it is sustained for long enough to replenish rivers, soils and groundwater.”
Compliance and resilience
SEPA carry out compliance inspections when areas reach Significant Scarcity to ensure temporary restrictions on licensed water abstraction are being followed. Inspections carried out in the Fife area have found 100% compliance.
Officers have also seen investment in off-line water storage, allowing water collected when it is available to be used later without adding pressure to rivers when flows are critically low.
While most seasonal irrigation has now ended, some farmers still require water for later crops, including brassicas. Investment in storage means those businesses are more resilient and better able to continue operating towards the end of the growing season.
Eilidh added: “Our inspections in Fife have found excellent compliance with the restrictions that are in place. We have also seen the benefit of businesses planning ahead and investing in resilience, including off-line storage which reduces their reliance on rivers when water levels are critically low.
“Businesses which abstract water should continue to check the latest information, follow their water scarcity plans and use water as efficiently as possible.”
What does significant scarcity mean
Significant Scarcity is reached when river flows at a representative monitoring station remain below Q95 for 30 consecutive days. Q95 is an exceptionally low flow which, based on long-term records, would on average only occur 18 days per year.
If low flows continue and the four approaching areas reach the threshold, affected licence holders will be required to stop abstracting water. Most seasonal irrigation in those areas has already ended, but formal restrictions will still be issued where applicable to protect rivers and the wildlife that depend on them.
Restrictions are targeted and temporary. They are kept under regular review and lifted when conditions improve sufficiently.
SEPA publish weekly Water Scarcity Reports throughout the summer, using information from Scotland’s environmental monitoring network to provide advance warning of changing conditions and help water users plan ahead.
Anyone can monitor local conditions using SEPA’s online Drought Risk Assessment Tool, which shows how close monitoring stations are to reaching Significant Scarcity.
