Water scarcity

The seasonal reports review how the weather conditions over autumn/winter have impacted water resources across Scotland. These are published in December and March. The latest winter water situation update was published on 10 March 2026.

Spring/Summer is a crucial time of year for water demand. We produce weekly water scarcity reports between May – September.

This tool shows the number of days in a row that river levels have been very low and can be used in combination with the weekly water scarcity reports to understand the risk of reaching Significant water scarcity. The tool updates daily at 09:30 GMT.

Everyone is strongly encouraged to build water resilience into their business as this can help with plans for the future. By taking the right steps now, it could help reduce the impact of water scarcity in the future.

Find out more about water scarcity, what evidence we use to write the reports, and answers to FAQs for a variety of water users.

Help us have the best possible understanding of the impact of dry weather.