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Scotland's rivers remain under pressure as very low flows persist

The latest Water Situation Report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows river flows remain very low across much of the country, with some catchments which had recovered now returning to very low levels.

The River Teviot and Ettrick Water have now experienced 39 consecutive days of very low flows. Restrictions on water abstraction remain in place in these catchments and will continue until river flows have recovered sufficiently.

Lower Dee and Water of Feugh have also moved to Significant Scarcity. There are no impacted abstraction licence holders in this area.

Without sustained rainfall, the Dee in Galloway and Urr Water could reach Significant Scarcity within the next week.

Other catchments which previously reached Significant Scarcity and recovered following rainfall are now experiencing very low river flows again, demonstrating the continuing pressure on Scotland's water environment after months of dry conditions.

SEPA officers have been carrying out visits in catchments where abstraction restrictions are in place and have seen good levels of compliance. Abstractors affected by restrictions are required to comply with the conditions set out by SEPA to protect the water environment.

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

"This has been a challenging summer for businesses which rely on water from the environment, and we recognise the impact restrictions can have on them.

"Our officers have seen good compliance with the restrictions currently in place. These are regulatory requirements designed to protect rivers when they are under significant pressure, and it is important that businesses continue to comply.

"Recent rainfall has helped in some places, but we've also seen rivers return to very low levels. That underlines why we can't look at individual periods of rainfall in isolation, recovery depends on sustained rainfall over time.

"As our climate changes, rainfall is becoming less predictable and water may not always be available where and when it is needed. Building resilience means planning for that uncertainty, adapting how we use water and taking action early rather than waiting until water availability becomes a problem.

"We'll continue to monitor conditions closely, work with abstractors and take action where necessary to protect Scotland's water environment."

Notes to editors

Current water scarcity levels

• Significant Scarcity: River Teviot, Ettrick Water, Lower Dee and Water of Feugh.

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

• Alert: Findhorn, Spey, Esk (Dumfriesshire) and Cree.

• Early Warning: Conon, Tay, Earn, Forth, Annan, Nith, Doon, Irvine and Ayr, and Clyde.

• Areas not listed above are at Normal Conditions.

Current data and conditions

The latest information on water scarcity and river conditions is available through:

SEPA's Water Scarcity Situation Report – 13 August 2026 – 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