The first Water Scarcity Report of 2025 published by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has already identified two regions at “Alert” level for potential shortages, while the majority of the country remains at “Early Warning” underscoring the need for vigilance across Scotland.
With the forecasts showing little rain over the coming days and with low river levels in the Shin and Naver catchments, due to the below average rainfall since the beginning of the year, these areas have been raised to Alert.
The rest of the country remains at Early Warning, with Shetland at Normal Conditions.
Each week throughout the summer months, SEPA issues its Water Scarcity Report, offering critical insight into Scotland’s water resource outlook. The weekly update equips key industries, such as agriculture, tourism and the food and drink sector, with early warnings of potential shortages, allowing licensed businesses to plan and adjust operations in response to changing conditions.
SEPA’s weekly report examines recent rainfall totals, river flow rates, soil moisture deficits and loch and groundwater levels. Regions are then classified using a five-level scale, from “Normal Conditions” through to “Significant Scarcity”, reflecting not only current hydrological data but also local water usage patterns, key economic activities and short-term weather forecasts.
Claire Tunaley, SEPA’s Senior Hydrology Specialist, commented:
“It might be tempting to assume that Scotland has more wet weather than the rest of the UK which would eliminate any risk of shortages, but we have seen a below-average amount of rainfall over the winter period for many areas. Whilst most of the country sits at Early Warning status, this can shift rapidly if this spring and summer continue to be drier than usual. We know that the demand for water peaks as we move in to summer, so it’s vital that all abstractors and water users stay informed and work together to safeguard our water resources.”
SEPA is warning all water abstractors should be aware of the potential risk of water scarcity this summer, monitor their water use, and plan ahead for a range of weather conditions.Notes to Editor
SEPA’s water scarcity report is updated on a weekly basis on a Thursday - click here to access the latest weekly Water Scarcity Report on SEPA’s Water Scarcity page.
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