The ground water scarcity situation in the Western Isles is expected to escalate quickly after weeks of little rainfall.
SEPA, Scotland's environment agency, has raised the risk to alert status for the islands.
Most of Scotland is affected by increasingly dry ground conditions and falling river levels with the position worse in the Western Isles and north west Highlands.
SEPA is monitoring the situation as water levels in Western Isles lochs and rivers get lower with a forecast of more dry weather to come.
Head of Water and Planning at SEPA, Nathan Critchlow-
“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-
“All of us have a responsibility in managing our water environment, this summer and beyond. By using water efficiently, businesses can increase their resilience to the impacts of prolonged dry conditions and save money.”
People can help by reporting dry private water supplies and rivers and burns in their area – especially if there are photographs that will help show the conditions.
Distressed or dead fish or invertebrates, large numbers of dead plants on parts of the riverbed that are rarely exposed and a lot of exposed algae over 100s of metres, combined with very low flows are also important to know about.
This will help provide the best possible understanding of the impacts of dry weather. Information can be sent to lowflowimpacts@sepa.org.uk.
