Water Security

 

PCHub wants to be a big sponge?

On May 11, 2025, we at PCHub were in the process of designing resilience-building initiatives

for the two acres of community land we are now managing.Our sustainability manager, along with the community council, has started planning. Weare currently developing our strategy for water storage and usage. Weneed to plan how we will irrigate (water)our social garden and orchard by this time next year. Weare currently relying on a neighbour's hose, which is wasteful and unsustainable.

April was particularly dry and warm locally, and there were even tragically local forest fires.

With the seasons arriving earlier and wind patterns changing, the ground has become extremely dry,

making it difficult to manage our seedlings since we do not have a polytunnel yet.

The first 12 days of May were sadly rainless, with SEPA starting to post concerns,

as some of Scotland's rivers  were unseasonably low 

The management team and the growers fully support the "No Mow May" initiative,

although it's challenging to educate people away from their lawnmowers.

Unfortunately, the district council does not seem to understand the severity of the biodiversity loss crisis,

as they had cut our grass. It's crucial for the council to be aware that the transition to community ownership

will require environmental acts of protection, not destruction. 

For our water security, we need to start planning for sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS).

We initially considered the installation of one SUD pond!

but now are considering three or four half-moon-shaped mini rain garden/forest type ponds.

All of these plans must account for preparations for extreme weather events,

such as droughts and flash floods. Additionally,

we need to factor in environmental protection for native species and biodiversity

in our proposed rain gardens and sensory pathways

.

Scotland, like so many other parts of the world, is adapting to mega downpours that lead to flooding. We want to introduce nature-friendly solutions; to do all we can to future-proof the hub and its grounds' water security whilst helping the district's water supply and flood prevention.

As our climate is changing, it's bringing heavier rainfall at certain times of the year. This community has lost its natural ability to 'be a sponge' and absorb water to reduce issues downhill. remember the damage done to the railway and road from Lathallan to Rumford a few years back, and the cars floating in water at Beencross!  Also, every single year now, the drains are not coping on our roads

 Much of this lack of sponginess comes from artificial grass, paved driveways and large tarmac`d areas - water simply runs off these and causes issues elsewhere, for us, our neighbours, road users, farmers, and wider community. The natural world is not coping with our burns, and rivers are being washed away!

 We at the hub wish to be pioneers and teachers, come along and learn - Whether you have a large garden, a patio or a small balcony - even small changes at home and at the hub can have a big impact, if we combine our efforts. We can become good ancestors instead of the wasteful society we are today 

By letting rain soak in, storing it, and slowing its journey to the sea down, we can help protect homes & communities from flooding. Lets all Try swapping hard surfaces for natural or 'permeable' ones, that help soak up rainwater and add more greenery. Where we can, 

we are planning on installing water butts, creating a rain garden with a pond, lets all do more even by just adding a few plants in pots to help catch the rain and slow the flow. Take part in our food growing and our sunflower growing competitions, part of the RHS grow with it events

Water scarcity in Scotland: really?

Only two years ago, during our country's hottest ever summer, Scotland went six weeks without rainfall! much of our annual rainfall is now being delivered in short-duration, high-intensity events, leaving long spells with little to no rainfall. Each year since 2018, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has declared moderate to significant water scarcity in a number of different regions. These events resulted in significant impacts on our freshwater ecosystems and our water-dependent industries. In July 2021, some distilleries in the highlands had to cease production due to insufficient water. In August 2022, SEPA restricted water abstractions for the first time in the Tweed and Eden catchments, directly impacting agricultural crop irrigation. There was also countless reports of toxic blue-green algal blooms in our lochs and reservoirs as water levels have fallen to historic lows, and mass fish kills due to high water temperatures and reduced flows. When Water scarcity occurs access to water, of sufficient quality, to meet human and ecological needs becomes limited. It then has to be controlled within our region. We can eliminate that problem here at the hub by planning our water security measures now  

Our changing supply 

Across Scotland, rainfall rates are highly variable. The water supply can vary across Scotland by over three meters annually, Recent data indicates that Scotland has experienced an increase in meteorological droughts, particularly in the spring and summer. This trend has been linked to broader climate changes, such as higher temperatures, which increase evapotranspiration, exacerbating dry conditions. Future projections suggest that these patterns will intensify, with hotter, drier summers becoming more common yearly, leading to more frequent and severe droughts.

Every drop counts - lets work together to keep our surroundings beautiful and resilient. we can all play our part to help protect our community now, and in the future. The Scotland of 2050 will look different to how it does now. Would you like to help shape the future of our community's water and wastewater services?

Refill Not Landfill

       We aim to install water fountains inside and out at the hub. We are zero-waste

champions, and water usage will need to be included in our baseline. Currently, our bins

receive a large volume of single-use plastic! We aim to stop this

Our community is trying to achieve A Sustainable Future Together. Right now - we are developing a resilience-building strategy. water is an extremely important part of achieving our ambitious net zero targets lets get our baseline calculated for next years impact report, when we can then publish our final Long-Term Strategy.