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Scotland heading into fourth month of water scarcity

Despite recent rainfall easing conditions in some areas, six catchments remain at Moderate Scarcity, with a further four at Alert and 11 at Early Warning. This week Shetland has moved to Early Warning. The Conon catchment has improved to normal conditions. Elsewhere conditions remain unchanged. 

Since the first warning about the increasing risk of water scarcity back in March, SEPA have been working to support abstraction licence holders, ensuring they have the information and guidance needed to adapt. While public attention may shift with the weather, the underlying risks remain. Extended periods of dry weather, like those seen twice already this spring and summer, have made recovery difficult and remind us that water scarcity is a long-term challenge. 

SEPA’s ongoing monitoring has enabled the agency to anticipate risks and engage early with abstracters, ensuring that any next to restrictions on water abstraction were implemented only when absolutely required. This proactive approach meant that, despite coming very close twice so far this year, no unnecessary restrictions have been imposed safeguarding both water users and the environment.  

Catrin Thomas, Senior Scientist in SEPA's Water Resources Unit, said: 

“Water scarcity isn't just a one-off event - it's a long-term challenge, and we're here for Scotland throughout. 

“Our staff have been monitoring conditions, sharing updates weekly and engaging directly with those who rely on our water resources. Twice this year we’ve experienced spells of prolonged dry weather, and due to the dry autumn and winter, that has made it harder for catchments to recover. Another period of warm dry weather could quickly push some areas back into more serious levels of scarcity. 

“We understand the pressures that come with managing water, and our role is to provide timely reliable information so no one is caught off guard. As the weather shifts, we urge all abstractors to continue using water efficiently, especially those in at risk areas, and keep informed through our website and reports. We’ll continue providing timely information and expert advice to help manage Scotland's water resources sustainably.” 

SEPA’s water scarcity situation reports are published weekly. The network of Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) stations is also available for people to track the areas that are most at risk. All information is available on our website.

Notes to Editors

• Moderate Scarcity - The Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Esk, Firth of Tay and the Tyne (Lothian) river catchments.
• Alert - The Findhorn, Spey, Dee (Aberdeenshire) and Firth of Forth catchments.
• SEPA’s four-tier water scarcity scale: Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity, Significant Scarcity

Data sources

• SEPA Water Scarcity situation report - 31st July 2025
• SEPA’s river level network - Find Scottish water levels information
• Rainfall data for Scotland - Scottish Rainfall Data
• DRAT - Water scarcity data - provided by Scottish Environment Protection Agency

DRAT stations and Significant Scarcity

Significant scarcity is reached when river flows have been very low for 30 or more days. We use a tool called the Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) to set significant scarcity level. 

DRAT is a network of flow gauging stations that SEPA monitor across Scotland and are used to set significant water scarcity when flows have been low for a sustained period of time. 

Data has been collected at these stations for a long period of time, so this allows us to give context to what is currently happening with the amount of flow in rivers relative to what you would normally expect. 
The river flow stations are each used as a representation of the conditions over an area, called a significant water scarcity area. The area and representative gauging stations are displayed on the tool.

Further support and useful links

The National Water Scarcity Plan explains how water resources will be managed prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather. This is to ensure the correct balance is struck between protecting the environment and providing resource for human and economic activity.

Report dry private water supplies and rivers and burns in your area to help SEPA assess water scarcity stress.

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. Find further advice for abstractors and irrigators on our website.