Scots told to curb water use after consumption surge

Scottish Water is calling on its customers to reduce their water consumption with forecasts of more dry weather to come.

The appeal comes following a dramatic increase in water usage among Scottish Water customers.

In total, Scots are currently using an average of 180 litres of water per person per day, some 45 litres more than those living south of the border.

As a result, Scottish Water had to put an additional 100 million litres per day into the network to cope with the increased demand during the past week.

To tackle increased consumption, Scottish Water is also using tankers to supplement normal water supplies in some parts of the country such as Kippen, Balfron, Gargunnock and parts of Skye.

Kes Juskowiak, Scottish Water 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.”

In particular, Scottish Water believes that the additional consumption is being used within gardens.

Consequently, the water company has called for customers to be “mindful of how much water they use in outdoor spaces such as lawns.”

Scottish Water has also called on its customers to:

• Take shorter showers
• Turn the tap off when brushing teeth
• Use washing machines and dishwashers only when fully loaded
• Use a bucket and sponge rather than a hose to wash the car

Juskowiak added: “Water is always worth saving, so we would ask everyone to do all they can in and around the home and garden to help us keep water flowing normally to their taps. By taking simple steps to reduce the volume used around the home and garden, we can make our country’s water go even further.”

Average reservoir levels across Scotland are at 85% and this is 4% lower than average for this time of year and 6% lower than this time last year.

Consumption issues are not just a problem north of the border. In March, most English and Welsh water companies admitted that they are likely to miss targets set at PR19 to reduce water consumption levels.