Restrictions placed on more rivers with 'significant' water scarcity

Restrictions have been placed on more Scottish rivers which have reached "significant" water scarcity after prolonged dry conditions.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said the move was needed to protect the rivers and wildlife on the Lower Tweed, Lower Don and Lunan Water.

They follow the Whiteadder Water and Berwickshire Coastal areas which saw restrictions placed on abstraction licences last week.

Sepa's head of compliance Shona McConnell said weekend rainfall in many parts had been welcome, but it had not been enough to reverse the impact of lengthy dry spells in the areas affected by the latest action.

A water abstraction licence is an official authorisation to take water from rivers, lochs, streams, or underground sources.

Sepa said the restrictions should "not come as a surprise" to those holding the 35 licences affected by the most recent restrictions.

Significant water scarcity is declared when river flows remain below the recognised low flow threshold for 30 consecutive days.

McConnell said: "At this point, temporary restrictions on licensed water abstraction are needed to protect rivers and the wildlife that depends on them.

"Our officers will be out in the affected catchments, working directly with licence holders to help them understand and comply with the temporary restrictions and answer any questions they may have.

"These decisions are based on measured river conditions, not fixed dates."

She said that Sepa assessed river flows every day and as soon as river flows recovered the restrictions would be lifted.

"Our priority is to protect Scotland's rivers while ensuring restrictions remain in place only for as long as they're needed," she said.

Sepa continues to monitor conditions closely, with East Neuk and North Fife also approaching significant water scarcity if river flows do not recover.