Water now a precious commodity

Scots urged to conserve as climate change tightens grip

- MARK MCGIVERN

WATER must be treated as a "precious commodity", climate experts have warned as fears grow of regular droughts in Scotland.

Hosepipe bans will become the norm, industries including whisky and farming will suffer and water metering for all households is on the cards as the effects of global warming hit home.

The warnings came as a satellite image showed how dry conditions have left the east side parched while watchdogs imposed the first water ban caused by this summer's drought.

Environment body SEPA insisted the emergency measures were forced on them by some of the driest conditions in 80 years in the east of once soggy Scotland.

Professor Lindsay Beevers, of Edinburgh University, said Scots should prepare for major restrictions in the years to come.

She said: "We can see already that parts of Scotland are in the highest level of water scarcity.

"Moving forward, we will need to think about water as a precious commodity. We need to think about storing it when supplies are good and about fixing leaks.

"We may very well start looking to what they do in England already, with hosepipe bans.

"We may very well move towards metering water household by household and paying for what is consumed, as they do in parts of Europe.

"It's only by thinking of it as a precious resource that we will start to conserve it.

SEPA imposed 56 full and 23 partial suspensions of water in the River Eden in Fife from today.

It means farmers are banned from using rivers and other natural sources to water their fields, although dispensation may be made for soft fruit growers.