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Private water supplies: what to do in an emergency

Last updated
5 Oct 2022

If you think your supply might run low, or you could run out out of water completely, you should plan what to do.

You may want to store some bottled water in case of emergency (but remember, it will have a best before date).

Scottish Water can provide you with water during a dry spell. You must ask your local council to arrange this.

If something's wrong with your private water supply

If you think there might be something wrong with your private water supply, stop using it and try and find out what has happened.

You might want to use bottled water until you can find out what the problem is and how to fix it.

You can ask your local council for help with this.

Aberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire Council Angus Council Argyll and Bute Council Clackmannanshire Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) 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 & Kinross Council Renfrewshire Council Scottish Borders Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Shetland Council Stirling Council West Dunbartonshire Council West Lothian Council

Depending on what's happened, they will be able to give you advice about what to do.

Your local council can also give you advice on whether your water would be safe to use with more treatment (e.g. boiling), or if you should stop using it.

If you use a company for maintaining your UV filters, they can be a good source of information too.

You can ask the council to check your supply once you have fixed the issue to make sure it's safe to drink.

Being prepared

It's a good idea to make a list of any major things that could go wrong with your supply so you're prepared.

For example, if your supply is near a road, what would happen if there was a fuel spill?

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