The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued a warning that the north-east of Scotland and the Highlands are now facing an increasing water scarcity situation, with groundwater levels and rivers running extremely low in some regions.
Even following periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms, as have been seen in recent weeks, the north-east’s ground levels are extremely low, with one site even recording the lowest levels ever seen.
Businesses and domestic properties alike that are reliant on private water supplies are now feeling the effects of water scarcity, with an increasing number seeing supplies dry up.
The SEPA is now calling on companies around the country that abstract water all year round to do all they can to reduce their water usage.
For example, those in the agriculture sector that are still abstracting should change their operations so abstractions are staggered, as well as reducing the volume of water being abstracted and switching to other supplies or even suspending abstraction where possible.
Chief executive of the SEPA Terry A’Hearn said: “[Our] strategy for tackling this definitive challenge of our time is called ‘one planet prosperity’, focused on helping our communities and businesses thrive within the resources of our one planet.
“That is why it is important for businesses that abstract water to understand that SEPA is here to offer support and guidance, and we are setting out the key measures abstractors should be taking to conserve water, which is shared and finite.
“We want to work with businesses to plan long-term about their water usage so that we can preserve the resource as effectively as possible. This will protect both Scotland’s rivers and lochs and reduce their business risks.”
If this news is concerning to you as a business and you want to start doing more to help protect the UK’s precious water resources, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s an awful lot you can achieve in this regard.
Prioritising water efficiency needn’t be difficult but it is becoming increasingly important, as water stress and scarcity is expected to be one of the biggest problems that the 21st century faces – and action needs to be taken now, before it’s too late.
You can start saving water at work by having a water audit carried out so you can see where you’re using water and where consumption can be reduced. The added benefit of all this is that you’ll save your business money at the same time.
Also think about prioritising water leak detection and repair, important when you think that three billion litres of water is lost through leakage each and every day in England alone. Leaks can be so small that you don’t even notice them until you see a spike in your bills – so making this your focus could make a huge difference to both the planet and your bank balance.
