Business Stream awards water saving grants as Scottish Water calls for efficiency

Business Stream has awarded £100,000 for water saving initiatives in the latest round of its annual Public Sector Scotland Water Efficiency Fund.

There were 32 applications, and the winners included: Moray Council, which will use its £10,200 award to install water saving taps within its buildings; Scottish Fire and Rescue, which will use its funding to conduct water audits; and NHS Forth Valley, which plans to supply and install 40 water butts at its sites.

The news came as Scottish Water issued a call for the public to use water wisely following the driest spring in Scotland in 70 years, and a drier than average August. Average reservoir levels across Scotland were down 2% to 73% last week, which is 9% lower than the average of 82% for this time of year.

In the east of Scotland, average reservoir levels were down 1% to 57%, which is 24% below the average of 81% for this time of year there.

Scottish Water has also seen demand increase by 100m litres per day – the equivalent to the normal supply to Dundee and Tayside.