Back to News

Flooding and water scarcity reflect contrasting conditions across Scotland

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency's (SEPA) weekly water scarcity report, published on 6th August, shows how conditions have improved in several areas following recent rainfall. However, parts of the country remain at Significant Scarcity and others could deteriorate without sustained rain.

Around 50mm of rain fell in some northern and north-eastern catchments this week, causing some rivers to rise rapidly. However, intense rainfall over a short period does not have the same effect as sustained rainfall over time, particularly after prolonged dry conditions.

Many east coast rivers continue to experience very low flows and ground conditions across much of the east remain dry or very dry. Prolonged low river flows can put pressure on river ecosystems, reducing the water and habitat available for fish and other wildlife. When an area reaches Significant Scarcity, SEPA will temporarily restrict the amount of water that can be taken from rivers and burns to protect the water environment.

At the peak of restrictions, more than 170 authorisations to abstract water from the environment were affected. Restrictions remain on five authorisations where river levels have not sufficiently recovered.

The Lower Don has remained at Significant Scarcity since 27th July, while the River Teviot and Ettrick Water reached Significant Scarcity on 4th August, showing how different catchments are responding to recent rainfall. SEPA officers have been carrying out checks in areas where restrictions were in place, with good compliance seen during visits.

Without sustained rainfall, the Mid Dee from Ballater to Banchory, and the Lower Dee and Water of Feugh could also reach Significant Scarcity within the next week.

Improved conditions have allowed restrictions to be lifted as river levels recover. Lunan Water, Tay Estuary (North), North Fife and Fife (East Neuk) are no longer at Significant Scarcity, with improvements also recorded across a number of other catchments. Businesses whose restrictions are being removed will be contacted by SEPA to confirm the change.

July was much drier than normal across the south and east of Scotland, with many areas receiving less than half the rainfall they would normally expect during the month. When ground is very dry, intense rain can run rapidly over the surface and into rivers rather than soaking into the soil. River levels can rise quickly, and localised flooding can happen, but those rises can be short-lived and do not always result in the sustained river flows needed for water scarcity conditions to fully recover.

Shona McConnell, SEPA's Head of Compliance, said:

“After the rain we've seen this week, people may understandably wonder how parts of Scotland can still be experiencing water scarcity.

“The rain has made a real difference in some areas. River levels have recovered and we've been able to remove restrictions where conditions have recovered. But Scotland is not out of the woods yet.

“Water scarcity develops over weeks and months, and a short period of heavy rain does not necessarily result in sustained recovery. We’re only at the beginning of August, so what happens next will depend on the rainfall we see over the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor conditions closely and introduce or remove restrictions where required.”

Further rain is forecast for northern and western Scotland over the coming days, with drier conditions expected elsewhere.

SEPA will continue monitoring river flows, rainfall, soil moisture and groundwater levels across Scotland and will update water scarcity levels as conditions change.

Notes to editors

Current water scarcity levels

• Significant Scarcity: Lower Don, River Teviot and Ettrick Water.

• Moderate Scarcity: Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Dee (Aberdeen), Firth of Tay, Firth of Forth, Almond, Tyne (Lothian) and Tweed.

• Alert: Findhorn, Spey, Esk (Angus), Esk (Dumfriesshire), Annan, Dee (Galloway) and Cree.

• Early Warning: Conon, Ness, Tay, Earn, Forth, Nith, Doon and Clyde.

• Areas not listed above are at Normal Conditions.

Current data and conditions

SEPA's Water Scarcity Situation Report 6th August – the weekly assessment of water scarcity conditions across Scotland

SEPA's Drought Risk Assessment Tool – shows low-flow monitoring stations and how close areas are to Significant Scarcity

SEPA's River Level Network – current river-level information from monitoring stations across Scotland

Rainfall data for Scotland – current and historic rainfall information

Water scarcity and flooding

Scotland can experience flooding and water scarcity at the same time. The two are not contradictory.

Flooding can result from intense rainfall over a relatively short period, while water scarcity reflects the effects of prolonged dry conditions on rivers soils and groundwater. Conditions can therefore vary considerably between different parts of Scotland and individual catchments.

Rain in an area also does not automatically mean water scarcity conditions will improve. After prolonged dry weather, intense rainfall can cause river levels to rise rapidly and lead to localised flooding, but those rises may be short lived. For water scarcity conditions to recover, river flows need to improve sufficiently and remain higher over time.

Dry soils and low groundwater levels can also take longer to recover, meaning sustained rainfall over longer periods may be needed to reverse the effects of prolonged dry conditions.

Water scarcity levels

SEPA uses five levels to describe water scarcity: Normal Conditions, Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity and Significant Scarcity.

The levels reflect increasing pressure on the water environment. At Significant Scarcity, SEPA may temporarily restrict abstractions from the environment where necessary to protect rivers and ecosystems.

Water scarcity levels relate to the water environment and are not an assessment of public drinking water supplies.

DRAT stations and significant scarcity

SEPA monitors a network of long-established low-flow gauging stations across Scotland to identify when river flows have remained unusually low for a sustained period.

The Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) shows how many days each station has been below Q95, a recognised low-flow threshold. When a station reaches 30 days below Q95, the catchments it represents move to Significant Scarcity and SEPA will impose any abstraction restrictions required.

Each station represents a defined Significant Scarcity area, which may contain one river or several catchments. As a result, the number of DRAT stations reaching the threshold and the number of areas at Significant Scarcity may be different.

How long water scarcity can last

Water scarcity does not necessarily end at the end of summer. Conditions can improve or deteriorate depending on rainfall and how rivers, soils and groundwater respond.

Further information and support

The National Water Scarcity Plan explains how water scarcity is monitored and managed in Scotland. 

Further information is available on:

• reporting dry private water supplies, rivers and burns

• advice for abstractors and irrigators during water scarcity