Emergencies and Unplanned Changes to Services

Scottish Water carries out extensive emergency and contingency planning to ensure any emergency, such as an interruption to supply, is either averted or efficiently controlled. We closely monitor any potential incidents so we can respond appropriately.

Where you have concerns you should contact your Licensed Provider. If you are unsure who this is, check your bills which will be issued by your Licensed Provider. In an emergency situation only, you can also contact Scottish Water direct on 0800 077 8778. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Potential public health or emergency issues include:

• Water quality
• No water
• Water pressure problems
• Burst main or water leak
• Water in gas pipes 
• Sewer flooding and pollution incidents
• Damage to Scottish Water infrastructure (such as a broken manhole cover)

When an interruption to supply (ITS) occurs, Scottish Water has an obligation to prioritise a supply of water for domestic purposes and in particular, to those customers classified as vulnerable.

The key elements of our approach when dealing with an ITS, are as follows:

• Prioritise a supply of water to customers for domestic purposes, and in particular to those customers on the Priority Services Register and to Sensitive Customers, e.g., hospitals, care homes;
• Provide alternative water supplies to non-domestic customer sites outwith the above classifications, only where we are able, and on the basis that the provision of alternative supplies during an incident is not guaranteed;
• Where we are unable to provide alternative water supplies to non-domestic customers, we may direct the customer to their Licensed Provider for assistance, but only on the basis that the Licensed Provider, may be able to help. We take this approach as some Licensed Providers do offer an alternative water supply service to their customers; and
• Storage: although there is no legal requirement for non-domestic customers to have onsite water storage, we consider it good practice to help mitigate any supply loss resulting from an ITS incident, whether it is planned or unplanned.  It is however, up to every customer to decide, as to what level of water storage and design is appropriate for their own premises. Guidance on water storage systems is provided under the Water Byelaws Regulations (in particular clause 16 (5)), which are available on Scottish Water’s website.

You can sign up for text alerts here: Sign Up for Alerts  · Scottish Water to be kept updated with service issues in your area. Scottish Water’s website Service Updates - Scottish Water and social media feeds Scottish Water (@scottish_water) / X can be a useful source of information to keep up to date with incidents.