Heavy rainfall helps ease water scarcity concerns
- Published
An abstraction ban was imposed on the River Tweed earlier this year
Recent heavy rainfall has helped to ease water scarcity concerns across most parts of Scotland.
Abstraction bans were imposed in a number of eastern areas this summer as levels became critically low.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has now lifted its last warning of significant scarcity.
However, it has warned that a "further period of prolonged, above average rainfall" was still needed to offset the current water storage deficit.
Sepa highlighted an east-west split in terms of scarcity at the start of the summer.
Abstraction bans followed on the River Eden in Fife and the River Tweed in the Borders.
They were both subsequently lifted and there are no longer any parts of the country experiencing significant or moderate scarcity.
The environmental body said rainfall forecast for the next week suggested that there could be further recovery in water levels although that could be limited in the east.
"Longer-term rainfall deficits, low river flows and dry ground conditions persist in areas of the south-east and north-east of the country," it added.
"A period of above-average rainfall is required to offset these deficits."
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- Published5 August 2022
