SEPA have released their water scarcity report for June, which reflects worrying statistics for Edinburgh and the rest of eastern Scotland.
Water scarcity means that the amount of fresh and clean water for drinking and everyday hygiene may be limited, due to a number of factors, including rainfall and higher human consumption.
On June 16, SEPA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, released their monthly report that included a map of Scotland, colour-coordinated according to which regions are on 'alert' or are experiencing 'normal' conditions.
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The map shows that to the east of the country, including Edinburgh and the Lothians, an alert has been issued due to potential water shortage.
The report says: "Recent rainfall has not been enough for recovery in the east and ground conditions have continued to get drier, particularly in areas that have been put into Alert.
"River flows remain low for the time of year across the east of Scotland. The risk of water scarcity in the Dee(Aberdeenshire), Don, Esk (Angus), Almond and Tweed catchments has increased to Alert. The Naver, Helmsdale and Conon catchments have been raised to an Early Warning level.
"The deterioration is due to a combination of dry ground conditions and low river flows. The far south-west remains at Early Warning. There continues to be an east-west split in the risk of water scarcity across Scotland."
They add that groundwater levels are increasingly low in areas that an alert has been issued, but they are continuing to monitor the situation closely, as well as coordinating steps to manage water resources.
SEPA have also issued advice ahead of the warmer periods of the year. They said: "We advise water users, including those with private water supplies, to be aware of the potential risk of water scarcity this summer, and for businesses to plan ahead where possible."
The group also provided a link to more information and steps in which people can do to reduce their water consumption.
The report also mentioned that groundwater levels at the monitoring sites in the east, including Edinburgh, and south-west remain low for the time of year.
A map showing rainfall and river flow within the last 90 days indicated that the area around Edinburgh is 'very dry', one of biggest cause for concern according to their map key.
