Water shortage alert issued as Scots told to put garden hose back in the shed

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has warned restrictions could need to be brought in if the current dry spell continues

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A water 'scarcity' alert has been issued across the majority of Scotland as the warm, dry weather takes its toll on levels. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has described the situation as "deteriorating".

In total, 12 areas of the Northwest and Southern Central region are now in alert level while the risk of water scarcity in the Loch Maree area has increased to moderate. Only North Aberdeenshire remains at normal levels for the time of year.

It follows an exceptionally dry May when the country received only 44 per cent of average rainfall - and the current hot spell is scheduled to continue, making the situation worse. Businesses are now being urged to put water scarcity plans into action while Scottish Water has urged customers to limit their water use.

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SEPA says the Loch Maree area in the Highlands has recorded prolonged extremely low river flows. The surrounding areas of the Northwest Highlands, extending down to Loch Ness, are also experiencing very low river levels so have moved to alert level.

Areas in the Southern Central region that have increased to alert level include the Clyde, parts of Dumfries and Galloway, and South Lanarkshire. Head of water and planning at SEPA, Nathan Critchlow-Watton, said: "The water scarcity picture in Scotland is just one of the consequences of climate change the country faces, and its frequency and severity is only likely to increase in the future.

"This is a crucial time of year for water demand, but with no rain in the forecast we cannot rule out needing to impose restrictions over the summer. Abstractors must manage water wisely in the coming weeks and months and should already have contingency plans in place in case restrictions are needed to avoid long-term damage to the environment and fish populations."

In a separate statement, Scottish Water said reservoirs serving homes had dropped to 85 per cent, six per cent lower than last year. The body insisted "there is no significant issue with resources", however, it is calling on households to "use water efficiently" and to cut back on the use of hoses in gardens.

Kes Juskowiak, Scottish Water's general manager of customer water services, said: "The recent dry weather has seen an increase in customer use and an additional 100 million litres of water had to be distributed each day across the weekend and on Monday. We’re working hard to maintain normal supplies for all but would ask that customers consider how they use water and to protect this precious resource.

"We believe that a large part of the additional water use is within gardens so we would ask that customers are mindful of how much water they use in outdoor spaces such as lawns."