22 July 2025
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Customers urged to use water efficiently to maintain supplies in Tobermory
22 July 2025Scottish Water is calling on people to use water as efficiently as possible in homes, businesses and gardens and help the utility to protect resources and maintain normal supplies across Tobermory.
Following the driest start to the year across Scotland since 1964, the company is working to ensure its supply systems can cope with demand, which has increased during the recent dry weather, and is urging locals, visitors and businesses on Tobermory to help save water by:
- Using water efficiently in the garden and outdoor spaces by using a watering can instead of a garden hose where possible and avoiding using sprinklers
- taking shorter showers
- turning the tap off when brushing teeth
- using washing machines and dishwashers only when fully loaded
- and using a bucket and sponge rather than a hose to wash the car.
The public water supply is resilient, and Scottish Water is continuously monitoring the levels of storage throughout the country to maintain supplies, but there has been an increase in water use by customers and businesses in the past week in the Tobermory area.
As a result, the water storage tanks are at an extremely low level and the two Treatment Works that feed the Island are at capacity.
Operations teams from the public utility are on the ground and tankers will carry water from Oban to ensure supply is maintained.
Ross Barclay, Scottish Water’s Operations Team Manager, said: “We’re working hard to maintain normal supplies for all customers and would ask that they use water efficiently to protect this precious resource.
“We are asking customers and businesses to use water as wisely as possible while we deal with this pressing issue.
“Water is always worth saving and by taking simple steps to reduce the volume used around businesses, at home and in the garden we can make our water go even further and help maintain normal supplies.”
Operational teams have also found a burst on the A848 and will work repair this as quickly as possible to maintain network resilience.
Scottish Water posts facts, tips and activities on social media to raise awareness about why we need to save water and more information on saving water is available at:
