As communities all over Scotland continue to adapt and respond to many new challenges, we wanted to update you on what Scottish Water is doing to continue caring for our customers and the water we all rely on.

As always, if you need to raise any issues in your community with our team, please contact us via email here – while our offices are closed, we remain available to help.  To report any ongoing disruption to essential services, or any other urgent service-related issues, please contact our Customer Engagement team in the first instance, who are available 24 hours a day on 0800 077 8778 or help@scottishwater.co.uk.

The newsletter also highlights a range of ways you can help us and the communities you serve to take care of Scotland’s water and the environment.

Prioritising the continuing delivery of essential services

Whether providing a reliable supply of clear, fresh and great-tasting tap water, or taking away the water that our customers have used so that it can be cleaned and returned safely to the environment, we know that customers are relying on us in the current situation more than ever.

As we reach the end of a second month of lockdown restrictions, Scottish Water’s frontline teams across the country continue to work around the clock to keep Scotland’s water flowing and maintain the high standard of service that our customers need. In every area of our business, we are following special working practices so that this can be achieved while keeping our teams and the communities we serve safe. There are some great examples below of what that involves in practice and what has been achieved.

Following guidance from the Scottish Government and Construction Scotland, we continue to work with our key supply chain partners to carry out essential work where it is necessary to maintain service and keep people safe. The great majority of our planned investment activity was temporarily paused in March and a rigorous review process has now been established to identify essential work which needs to resume and ensure the right measures are always in place before that happens.

Our teams have received a hugely positive response from customers and we are enormously grateful for their support. Equally, we understand that this is a difficult and anxious time for many people and will continue to do all we can to assist.

Click here for the latest Scottish Water update on Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Caring for our water in the summer months

Water Saving Week took place this month, providing a great opportunity for everyone to consider how they use water in their homes and gardens throughout the year – but especially at times of lower rainfall.

On average, each person in Scotland uses about 165 litres of water every day in and around their home. The figure for April increased to 198 litres per person per day – the highest we have ever recorded – as a result of changing patterns of daily life during the Covid-19 restrictions, with people staying at home when they would normally be at work.  The daily pattern of use has also changed, with the peak morning flow coming later than usual at about 9.45am.

Our teams monitor water levels at sources like reservoirs, lochs, rivers and boreholes across the country to ensure we can take action if necessary to sustain supplies to all of our customers.

We also work to highlight the easy ways that everyone can save water in and around the home; and the many benefits of doing so. About one fifth of the average household heating bill is spent on heating water. By taking simple steps like turning the tap off when brushing your teeth and taking shorter showers, a family of four can save 0.7 tonnes of CO2 and over £100 in reduced energy bills each year. As well as reducing CO2 emissions and saving money, saving water also helps protect our water supplies and supports the natural environment.

• Click here for further information about water efficiency – and how you can save water whatever the weather
• Click here for a Facebook video that you can share with 5 easy tips to help save water
• Click here to view and share the 5 easy water saving tips via Twitter

Follow us on our main Facebook and Twitter pages, and our south east of Scotland Twitter account, for regular updates and lots more content that you can share. Thank you for anything you can do to help.

Celebrating the Nature of Scotland

The last two months have given many people more time than normal to notice and appreciate the natural world on our own doorsteps.

The chance to appreciate nature is also an opportunity to reflect on the work of the people and organisations who constantly work to support it and to improve our natural environment for the benefit of people and wildlife.

The RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards exist to celebrate that work. Scottish Water is proud to be supporting a special award this year to highlight the work that is done to maintain and enhance the unique habitats, flora and fauna of Scotland’s Coasts and Waters.

Nominations can be submitted for this and 8 other award categories until Monday 1^st June.  Is there a person, business or organisation working in your local area whose work to give nature a home deserves to be recognised?  Please nominate them here – don’t delay!

(Image included with thanks to Ben Wood / RSPB)

New Water Cycle education pack available now

Our newsletter last month highlighted the education materials that we have available online to help teachers, parents and carers looking for material to use from home.

Our team has been working hard in recent weeks to produce a new, fun and engaging Water Cycle education pack which is aimed at children in primary school.  You can find out more and download the new pack here.

We’ve already had some great feedback on this new material since it was launched a few days ago. If you think these new resources might be useful to people in your community, you can share a short video with a link on facebook here, or share via twitter here.

Trusted to serve the South East of Scotland

We are continuing to showcase many stories about the people working in essential roles to keep our water flowing across the south east of Scotland – as well as the wider part they play in our communities.

• Dunfermline Waste Water Treatment Works has turned to green energy to boost Scottish Water’s pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2040
• Waste Water Operations Manager Steven Boon is playing a vital role helping to maintain networks and keep our treatment processes operating during the pandemic

And Finally:

• Worker Praised for Helping Lead Family of Lost Ducks to Water.