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Water Resource Planning

Purpose

Agency board report number: SEPA 24-25/007 - 17 May 2024

This paper provides the Board with an update on how we are moving beyond reactive in-year management of water scarcity to long-term proactive planning.

It also summarises the current water scarcity situation and preparedness for any operational response necessary to water scarcity in 2024.

Introduction

Climate change is already leading to dramatic impacts from both flooding and drought.

To meet these joint challenges of climate change, a more holistic and strategic approach to water resource management is needed in Scotland. SEPA has a key role to play in advising government and wider society; details of our role and resourcing of managing water resources requires further discussion.

In common with the rest of our environmental licensing systems, water resource use is currently licensed on a case by case, first-come-first-served approach. Historic use was neutrally translated into licensed rights when the regime was first introduced. SEPA must have sufficient evidence before reducing the abstracted volume, as the applicants have the right to appeal any revised limits. Additional powers would be needed to rebalance licensed volumes on the basis of a strategic assessment of demand and supply for the future.

The approach that SEPA has taken to water resource management to date has been to react to periods of drought. This approach has generally worked well, and SEPA has been complimented for our actions in managing water scarcity situations effectively and proportionately. However, with a rapidly changing climate, this approach will not be sufficient for the future.

The Programme for Government Roundtable on Water Resource Planning took place on 23 April 2024 attended by Mr Fairlie, (Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity), and Ms Slater, (former Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity), together with a wide range of senior representatives of public bodies, operators and NGOs. The Roundtable focussed on working with stakeholders to set out what future water resources planning for Scotland could look like, with discussion covering evidence provision, challenges and how to take this work forward. The session recognised the inter-connectedness of both flooding and water scarcity, and the importance of land management to both.

The recent Scottish Government consultation on water, wastewater and drainage policy1 showed widespread support for water resource planning.

SEPA is working with Scottish Government and other public agencies including Scottish Water, Water Industry Commission Scotland and Consumer Scotland to develop policy and legislative change to support and deliver Water Resource Planning through the above policy opportunity.

Ambition

Participants in the roundtable agreed there is a need to:

1. provide an effective mechanism to plan and manage water resource availability and demand proactively and collectively across all sectors, covering both water excess and water scarcity;
2. ensure Scotland moves beyond the current reactive approach to managing our water resources to a proactive long-term sustainable approach;
3. support all water users to plan and adapt and become resilient to a changing climate and to inform public and private investment to ensure a just transition;
4. provide the right direction, principles, conditions and priorities to use existing legislation, powers and incentives in a more effective way across all water use sectors;
5. complement and reinforce existing legislation and regulations.

SEPA is advocating:

1. A national commitment to stewardship, valuing water to drive and accelerate cultural behaviour change of both individuals and organisations.
2. An overarching water resources framework that sets out the vision, principles and commitment for the step-change required for long-term proactive management of Scotland’s water resources.
3. A national assessment of water resources including water supply, demand and pressures for all water uses, taking future projections (including climate change) into account.
4. A national plan for strategic action necessary for resilience and allocation and prioritisation of water resources and;
5. Detailed plans for areas or sectors at greatest risk of demand outstripping supply for current and future water resources.

Further work is required to consider alignment with existing legislation and other relevant plans including River Basin Management Planning and Flood Risk Management Planning.

Through the proposed Water and Sewerage legislation, it is proposed that SEPA is given duties to develop and deliver water resource management planning, with all public bodies given duties to contribute and enforce for areas under their remit. It is understood that this would be dependent on any (re)allocation of resource to be able to deliver the given duties.

In the short-term, SEPA is exploring the use of abstractors metering and revised charging alongside improved water efficiency measures to reduce the impact on the water environment. Additionally, a series of evidence and climate change projections projects are being developed to inform our future approach whilst better communicating the impacts of water scarcity now and the increased risks in the future.

Water scarcity - current conditions and operational response

Water levels are healthy for the time of year, following a wet winter and spring. Groundwater and river levels are normal or high for the time of year. The risk of water scarcity in summer 2024 is currently low. Conditions can change if we experience a spell of hot and dry weather as in previous years, particularly in the North-West of the country. SEPA started publishing its weekly reports2 at the beginning of May. These reports inform businesses of the water scarcity situation and the actions they can take to manage water use appropriately.

SEPA leads on the National Water Scarcity Plan to manage water resources during times of water scarcity. A large part of this is proactive communication with abstractors (such as farmers, golf courses, distilleries, fish hatcheries and industrial users) and other stakeholders, including close liaison with Scottish Government, Fisheries Management Scotland, NatureScot, Scottish Water, NFUS and others.

In the last two years, SEPA has diverted significant resource to manage water scarcity in-year, which has impacted other deliverables. We currently anticipate that limited resources will have to be allocated in 2024. However, should water scarcity develop, we have carried out all necessary preparations to manage the situation.

Recommendations

The Board is asked to discuss and agree the position set-out.