The 10th driest summer in the last 100 years has been recorded in the east of Scotland
Sepa (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) reported eight out of the last 12 months in the region had below-average rainfall.
An extra month’s worth of average winter rainfall is needed in the east to make up the deficit from the past 12 months.
Water scarcity warnings were issued by the agency through the summer amid fears about depleting levels.
‘Many places face pressure on water resources’
Nathan Critchlow-Watton, head of water and planning at Sepa, warned this year is one of the clear indicators climate change is present in the area.
He said: “Water scarcity is just one indicator of climate change here.
“With more extreme weather and a projected decrease in summer rainfall in the years to come, many places could face pressure on water resources even if they have not experienced this before.”
Mr Critchlow-Watton urged businesses around Scotland to be prepared for this problem in the years to come.
“This was the first year Sepa had to enforce abstraction licence suspensions to protect the sustainability of local water environments.
“Action like this underlines the severity of the dry conditions we experienced and reinforces the need for businesses to prepare for instances like this in the future.
“It is important that Scotland is ready to deal with water scarcity now and in the future.
“Sepa is here to help with information to allow businesses to make informed decisions about reducing their reliance on water and to manage water scarcity events,” he added.
As the summer has turned to autumn, there have been improvements seen in water levels in the affected areas.
However, Sepa says some northern and eastern catchments are still facing the risk of water scarcity.
They’ve urged businesses who are still abstracting from the environment to do so more efficiently, this includes monitoring their water usage and equipment.
In the meantime, Sepa is still monitoring these areas until conditions return to normal.
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