Pulteney Distillery in Wick adds voice to water scarcity warnings from SEPA
Scotland's environment agency is calling on businesses to prepare for possible water shortages this summer.
It follows water scarcity alert levels in Wick and Thurso last year, and a seven-week spell of significant scarcity in Caithness in 2021.
During that summer, Pulteney Distillery in Wick halted production of its Old Pulteney whisky due to the low water levels in Loch Hempriggs.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which has just published the first water scarcity report of 2023, said the Caithness business relies solely on water from the loch.
It said that operators could see water levels at the loch were perilously low and instead of waiting for regulatory action, the distillery worked with SEPA and followed advice on managing the resource. Production was voluntarily halted, and personnel were deployed to other maintenance tasks to ensure lost production days were made up efficiently once water supplies increased again.
International Beverage Group distilleries manager Sean Priestley said: “We’re acutely aware of the real risk of water scarcity, particularly in an area like Caithness where water is constrained. We made a decision not to shy away from this and to instead do the right thing for the environment, no matter how challenging this might be for our business.
“Loch Hempriggs is a vital natural resource, not one that we can simply replace or use technology to fix. It needs careful management, time and of course plenty of rain to sustain it. Responsibility for its stewardship falls to us.”
As well as implementing current water scarcity plans, the distillery is also focusing on innovation to find more sustainable ways of distilling whisky. The team has been conducting a number of high gravity mashing trials to establish the best possible production process, minimising water usage while still maintaining the character of the Old Pulteney spirit.
From September 2021:
- Water at 'significant scarcity' for sixth consecutive week as Wick sees its warmest September day for 68 years
- Pause to production will have 'negligible' impact on future stocks of Old Pulteney
High gravity mashing has proven successful at other International Beverage distilleries in Scotland and will have a positive impact on water usage at Pulteney once implemented, the firm said.
Water scarcity levels in Caithness are currently normal, according to SEPA's latest report, but some areas of Sutherland and Ross-shire are already at the early warning stage.
It follows mixed conditions over the last six months, with winter drier than average across most of the country, in contrast to a mostly wet autumn. A particularly dry February has also contributed to lower than normal river flows and groundwater levels for this time of year.
Nathan Critchlow-Watton, head of water and planning at SEPA, said: “Given the mixed weather we’ve experienced in autumn and winter, and the fact that some parts are already at early warning level, what happens next will shape the risk of water scarcity this summer. We can’t rule out a repeat of the water shortages businesses experienced last year.
“It’s vital that water abstractors licensed by SEPA have a plan to deal with water scarcity and we can help by providing advice and guidance on ways to reduce pressure on the water environment. Taking the right steps now will lower the likelihood of resources reaching a critical level again this summer and SEPA having to suspend licences to protect the water environment.”
All water abstractors are asked to be aware of the potential risk of water scarcity this summer, monitor their water use, and plan ahead for a range of weather conditions.
Those collecting water from the same source are urged to work together with neighbours and stagger abstractions to make best use of available water.