Maintaining Normal Summer Public Water Supply

At Scottish Water, we are working to maintain public water supply to customers in parts of the country affected by prolonged dry warm summer weather.

Nationwide reservoir storage levels remain at 81%, which is around average for the time of year.

In eastern and southern areas such as Fife and the Scottish Borders, levels are below average and in some instances reservoirs are being topped up from alternative water sources to ensure supply resilience for customers. This is a result of lower-than-average spring and summer rainfall.

Householders are being reminded to use water as efficiently as possible and help protect a natural precious year-round resource by:

• Taking shorter showers
• Turning the tap off when brushing teeth
• Using washing machines and dishwashers only when fully loaded
• Using a watering can instead of a garden hose
• Using a bucket and sponge rather than a hose to wash the car.

“Water is always worth saving, not just in the summer months, so we would ask all householders to do all they can in and around the home to help us maintain water flowing to their taps.”

Peter Farrer
Chief Operating Officer, Scottish Watert

We closely monitor and manage water resources and we are taking several steps including tanker deployments to supplement supplies and adjusting the network to re-distribute water around the country.

Peter Farrer, Scottish Water’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We remain absolutely focused on ensuring customer supplies are maintained especially where the warm, dry weather has been experienced over a more prolonged period.

“Public water supply supports daily life around the clock and our national reservoir storage remains at a level where we can continue to meet requirements. We have seen water demand peaks, particularly around hot weekends, and customers can play an important role in how we manage our country’s water resources.

“Water is always worth saving, not just in the summer months, so we would ask all householders to do all they can in and around the home to help us maintain water flowing to their taps. By taking simple steps to reduce the volume used around the home and garden, we can make our country’s water go even further.”

We post facts, tips and activities on social media to raise awareness about why we need to save water, and more information on saving water is available at www.scottishwater.co.uk/savewater.