Scots asked to conserve water to stop drought

Scottish Water has asked parts of the Western Isles and Argyll to make conservation efforts by taking shorter showers and only washing car windscreens and lights instead of the whole vehicle.

Those affected currently involve customers served by the Tolsta Water Treatment Works (WTW) in north Lewis and by the Tarbert WTW in Argyll are being asked to take steps to save water.

Other water conservation measures suggested include using a watering can rather than a hose to water plants, using a bucket to wash vehicles and using washing machines and dishwashers fully loaded.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has placed a 'Moderate Scarcity' orange alert in Argyll, the Western Isles, and the northwest of the country.

A yellow water scarcity alert exists everywhere else except the Northern Isles and south Scotland, which have an early warning in place.

The agency has issued a request to farmers and golf course managers in all areas of Scotland except the south region when using water from burns and small rivers to only irrigate only when necessary and at night to cut evaporation losses.

It said water sources used for irrigation of farmland to grow agricultural crops, maintain landscapes, and revegetate are at risk of becoming "limited" in all areas of Scotland.

The agency also suggested farmers explore how they and their neighbours in the same river catchment could avoid irrigating at the same time.

SEPA said: "River levels are still extremely low across western Scotland, particularly in the north-west.

"Further evidence of environmental impacts and impacts on private water supplies have been reported and therefore a Moderate Scarcity level has been set for this area.

"Some rainfall is forecast for the north west in the week ahead but it is not yet clear how much this will ease the situation."

In each river catchment there is some degree of water storage, which can maintain river flows even when it is not raining.

This natural water storage is mainly held in lochs and groundwater.

SEP says that when natural storage has been depleted it will take a lot of rainfall for levels to recover.

Currently loch levels in the north-west were described as "low for the time of year" following relatively dry conditions.

And groundwater levels along the east coast were described as "still very low for the time of year".

Scottish Water said that reservoir levels across Scotland were currently at 80 per cent and "generally good".

But it said that despite some rainfall in parts of the country at the weekend, Scottish Water hydrologists say it has not helped to replenish to any significant level water sources in certain areas.

A Scottish Water spokesperson said: “We’re asking customers in these two areas, Tolsta on Lewis and Tarbert in Kintyre, to consider how they use their water and to follow our advice about how they can use water wisely.

“The weather in these areas during most of April and May has been very dry and there has been a drop in reservoir levels that supply the water treatment works which serve our customers there.

“We have a strong and resilient distribution network to keep our customers supplied, but we’re asking everyone to play their part by considering what they can do to help us maintain supplies.”

Scottish Water is to attend a series of events across the country over summer as part of a Your Water Your Life campaign to talk to communities about how to use water wisely.