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Some recovery in the east but 8 areas remain at Significant

The River Findhorn, the River Lossie, Lower Dee and Water of Feugh, Lunan Water, North Fife, Leven (Fife), East Neuk (Fife), Tyne (Lothian), Upper Tweed, and Mid-Tweed and Lauderdale have all recovered from Significant after rain over the past week improved river conditions in those catchments sufficiently.

As conditions have improved in these areas, we have lifted restrictions as quickly as possible.  

Significant Scarcity is still affecting Findhorn (East), River Avon, Lower Spey, Deveron, Ythan, South Ugie Water, Upper and Lower Don (Aberdeenshire). 

Due to very dry conditions and extremely low river flows, Thurso and Orkney have been raised to Moderate Scarcity. If sufficient rainfall is not experienced, Orkney will reach significant scarcity in the coming week.

SEPA’s temporary restrictions remain on licensed abstractions in areas affected by Significant Scarcity. All affected licence holders have been issued with letters explaining what they need to do, with the time and date the restrictions come into effect. SEPA officers are out in catchments daily, monitoring conditions and supporting abstractors.

This year has been highly unusual, with repeated dry weather keeping rivers under strain throughout 2025.

Rivers naturally cope with changes in flow as part of their annual cycle, but extended low flows increase pressure on river ecology and recovery takes longer. Repeated low-flow years increase the risk of long-term or even permanent changes.

To better understand the impacts, SEPA has increased ecological monitoring. Additional assessments have been carried out over the summer to assess impacts on fish, in-stream ecology, and water quality.

Eilidh Johnston, SEPA’s Senior Manager in Water Industry and Rural Economy, said:

“Although some areas have recovered from Significant Scarcity, rivers in eastern Scotland remain under sustained pressure highlighting the vulnerability of eastern Scotland's water environment. We understand that after such a long period the message may feel repetitive, and it's easy to assume that rainfall will ease the pressure but there's no guarantee. That's why it's vital that businesses continue to stay engaged, understand conditions in their area and take action where needed.

“Throughout the spring and summer, we’ve been working closely with abstractors in the areas most at risk - including calling licence holders directly. We’ll also continue to work with organisations like NFUS, Scotch Whisky Association and Scottish Golf to ensure advice is shared and impacts are understood. Clear, early communication continues to be provided, so no one is caught off guard.

“We know how important water is to the Scottish economy, particularly sectors like farming, food and drink, and energy. We also know that without a healthy water environment those sectors cannot thrive. As an effective regulator, our role is to balance the needs of businesses with the health of the environment they rely on. It is crucial that these environments do not become so stressed that they struggle to recover, which would reduce the water resources available to those businesses in the long term.”

SEPA continues to urge all abstractors from farmers and producers to industry and manufacturers to use water efficiently and manage this shared resource responsibly. 

Notes to editors

Licence restrictions

Additional licence restrictions will be introduced if more catchments reach Significant Scarcity and lifted as they recover.

Water scarcity levels

• Early Warning: Conditions are drying. No action required, but abstractors should start preparing. 
• Alert: Water levels are falling. SEPA advises voluntary reductions in non-essential water use for abstractors. 
• Moderate Scarcity: Environmental impact is clear. Action from abstractors is expected to protect rivers and the species that rely on them. 
• Significant Scarcity: Critical river levels. Restrictions on abstraction licences may be imposed.

Data sources

• SEPA Water Scarcity situation report - 18th September 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

Anyone can track conditions via SEPA’s Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT), which shows colour-coded stations across Scotland and how close they are to Significant Scarcity.  

Clicking on an individual station will show how many days it has been below Q95, a recognised low flow threshold. When a station reaches 30 days the catchments linked to the station will be moved to Significant Scarcity, and SEPA will move to impose any restrictions required.     

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. 

Each station may represent a single river or a group of catchments. For this reason, the number of DRAT stations and areas at Significant Scarcity may be different. 

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 risk of water scarcity, monitor their water use, and plan ahead for a range of weather conditions. Find further advice for abstractors and irrigators on our website.