About private water supplies
Having a private water supply means you get water for your home or business from a source that is not the public water supply, known as the mains water network.
Sources for private water supplies include:
- lochs
- boreholes
- streams
Costs and responsibilities
Installing and maintaining a private water supply can be expensive and take a long time.
Your responsibilities as a private water supply owner can include:
- registering the supply
- maintaining the equipment
- treating your water so it's safe to use
- reporting problems with your supply
If you rely on a private supply, you need to plan how you’ll get water in an emergency like a drought or storm.
Get advice before setting up a private water supply
Due to the cost and responsibilities involved with a private water supply, you should consider connecting to the mains water network instead.
This will mean:
- Scottish Water will have responsibility for your supply
- your supply will be good quality and more reliable
View Scottish Water's information on connecting to the mains network.
If you still want a private supply, get advice from your local council's environmental health department first. They can tell you about registering, risk assessing and testing the supply.
You may be able to get a grant of up to £800 to help with the costs of improving a private supply.
Visit your local council's website
- Aberdeen City Council
- Aberdeenshire Council
- Angus Council
- Argyll and Bute Council
- Clackmannanshire Council
- Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
- Dumfries and Galloway Council
- Dundee City Council
- East Ayrshire Council
- East Dunbartonshire Council
- East Lothian Council
- East Renfrewshire Council
- Edinburgh Council
- Falkirk Council
- Fife Council
- Glasgow City Council
- Highland Council
- Inverclyde Council
- Midlothian Council
- Moray Council
- North Ayrshire Council
- North Lanarkshire Council
- Orkney Islands Council
- Perth and Kinross Council
- Renfrewshire Council
- Scottish Borders Council
- South Ayrshire Council
- South Lanarkshire Council
- Shetland Islands Council
- Stirling Council
- West Dunbartonshire Council
- West Lothian Council