People in Aberdeen are being urged to act responsibly and stay out of the water at Inchgarth Reservoir.
Scottish Water has launched an appeal following a number of incidents where large groups of people have been gathering at the site and entering the water.
Inchgarth Reservoir is categorised differently to many others due to the presence of operational infrastructure in the water.
Due to this, it is closed to the public but that has not stopped people recently starting fires, vandalising fences, littering and verbally abusing staff.
‘Many hidden dangers’
Derek Cooke, water operations east manager at Scottish Water, said: “We understand that people are keen to visit reservoirs at the moment, especially given the recent spell of hot weather.
“However, the reservoir at Inchgarth is not safe for people to swim in or use recreationally due to the presence of operational infrastructure and we are asking people to please take this seriously and to stay out of the water.
“There are many hidden dangers in reservoirs as they are working assets, and on top of that there is also the risk of cold water shock and strong currents within the lagoon that could lead to people getting into real difficulty.”
There is a greater risk of individuals coming into contact with the dangerous infrastructure due to the resevoir’s small size.
The serious safety risks are outlined via signage at the site which clearly state people should not enter the water.
‘Please take these warnings seriously’
Mr Cooke condemned the recent “unacceptable” behaviour that has been taking place at the reservoir which has led to police becoming involved.
He continued: “In addition, some of the behaviour we have seen from those gathering at the site is entirely unacceptable.
“Fencing has been vandalised, litter left lying around and fires started without any consideration for the environment. There have also been incidents of verbal abuse directed at staff which will not be tolerated.
“We have been in touch with Police Scotland regarding the issues at Inchgarth and will continue to liaise with them as required.
“I would ask people again to please take these warnings seriously for their own safety and to ensure they behave responsibly when making use of any of our sites across Scotland.”