The Risk of Water Scarcity

topic Protecting Against the Growing Risk of Water Scarcity

By Ben Trotter Filpumps the fluid specialists

Whilst many people were revelling in the record breaking temperatures this summer, by either heading to the beach or the nearest beer garden, many farmers were heading to dry fields and empty water tanks. After a predominantly dry year so far, the soaring heat has been the final straw that has broken the back of many a water supply across Scotland. With agriculture being heavily dependent on water use, farmers are some of the first people to experience difficulties with diminishing water availability, as well as being amongst the hardest hit commercially due to water shortages.

The weather has been getting increasingly drier in recent years and while this has reduced the amount of water available, our demand continues to rise. This year has been one of the most severe so far. In July alone, there have been multiple reports on the BBC of water shortages in Scotland, with SEPA and the Met Office predicting that this is likely to continue in the coming years. If so, ground water supplies, such as wells and springs, will be at risk of struggling to meet the demand they once provided.

The question is, what can be done to ensure a reliable water supply?

The first thing is not to leave taking action until the water supply is almost dry. Whilst there are solutions that allow you to make more efficient use out of less water, it takes time to implement these systems. During this time, if the water source continues to struggle, the farm may experience loss of produce or incur additional costs owing to having tankers of water delivered to site. To save this additional stress and expense, contact a private water company such as ourselves, as soon as you start to notice consistent decline in your water supply. This way, the solution can be in place before the situation reaches crisis level and you can reap maximum benefit and savings, not to mention a great deal more peace of mind.

So what are some of the solutions available?

With surface ground water supplies such as wells and springs, the key is to take the pressure off the water source from having to meet the live demand of the application. It may be that the supply can still provide the daily volume of water required, but can no longer be pumped at the previous flow rate used to replenish existing tanks or points of use directly. This can be compounded if

the existing pump system is also older and inefficient. It may have been installed a long time ago, before the water source began to experience difficulties. As such, it may no longer be suitable and could be putting undue strain on the supply. Getting the water needs of your application assessed correctly, including testing the water source to determine the volume and flow it can provide, is essential in ensuring that any system in place is the best it can be. If done correctly, this will optimise the efficiency of your water use and minimise running costs.

As effective as such systems can be, surface ground water supplies will always be at risk of change, both in flow and quality. This is because the water they draw from is unconfined. It can flow anywhere the pull of the water table dictates, as well as pick up contamination from natural and artificial sources. Seasonal change is the ‘hot’ topic affecting water supplies just now, which is a perfect example of how these types of water source can be affected by means out with our control. Ultimately, with the best will in the world, if a water source runs completely dry, there is little that can be done to make that supply viable.

If you have concerns that a water supply might be susceptible to any of the above risks, then a water borehole offers an ideal alternative solution.

Boreholes offer a consistent and sustainable supply on a par with, or even exceeding, mains water. When a borehole is drilled correctly, it penetrates into the bedrock below ground, bypassing all loose deposits above (eg: soil, sand, gravel etc…). Any water found flowing through such deposits is sealed out of the borehole and not used, as this is surface ground water, which would still be susceptible to all the risks detailed above. Drilling down into the bedrock (on average 40m to 80m total depth) taps into the various veins of water, which continuously flow through fissures and porous channels in the rock. These veins are supplied by a large underground catchment of constantly flowing water, surrounded by impermeable rock. This protects the water from the effects of seasonal change, contamination or from flowing away due to the pull of the water table. As no water is lost due to those factors, it offers a vast sustainable water supply. The volumes of water that can be abstracted from a borehole also frequently exceed those of other supplies, with even a moderately low flowing borehole providing tens of thousands of litres of water per day (note that abstraction licenses may apply).

These factors allow boreholes to provide a reliable and consistent water supply, removing the potential risks affecting other water sources, during the growing concern of water scarcity.

Ben Trotter Filpumps the fluid specialists Thainstone Business Park, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, AB51 5GTE ben.trotter@filpumps.co.uk T: 01467 623010