Caithness water scarcity level notched up as dry spell continues
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Wick and Thurso have been warned that water levels are low, with businesses urged to use water more efficiently.
The latest water scarcity report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) puts the two Caithness towns on Alert level.
That means farmers and other businesses are asked to check irrigating equipment, not to over spray, use trickle irrigation and irrigate at night to avoid evaporation.
Sepa's report, published on Thursday, states: "June has been dry across most of the country so far. Many areas have seen well below average rainfall over the last three weeks. River flows remain low for the time of year across the east of Scotland.
"Due to increasingly dry ground conditions and low river levels in the far north, Wick and Thurso have now been raised to Alert level."
The environment agency is monitoring the situation and coordinating steps to manage water resources in line with Scotland's National Water Scarcity Plan.
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Head of water and planning at Sepa, Nathan Critchlow-Watton, said: “The weather conditions in June have been dry across most of the country so far, with many areas seeing below average rainfall over the last three weeks.
“There is still a broadly east-west split in the risk of water scarcity and we are continuing to monitor the situation closely. Earlier this year, Sepa warned that water scarcity conditions could deteriorate quickly if dry weather continues and we are seeing this happen across Scotland as warning levels increase and expand to more areas each week.
“Businesses can play a part in protecting the environment by following our advice on using water efficiently and having a plan for when resources start to deplete.
“Water scarcity will become a more regular occurrence in Scotland as a result of climate change, but Sepa is here to help minimise the impacts on both the environment and key sectors across the country.”
Last summer, Wick experiences its driest summer since 1955, with the water scarcity level raised to Significant for a number of weeks.
Pulteney Distillery was forced to pause production for more than a month due to the dry conditions – the first time it had done so since 1976.
Highlands and Islands Green MSP Ariane Burgess warned that climate change was starting to have a real impact on all of us, including in the far north.
More information about water scarcity can be found at www.sepa.org.uk/waterscarcity, where the latest report can also be read in full.
