Aberdeenshire Council is working with Scottish Water and the Scottish Government to provide bottled water and tanks to those whose private supply is running dry, at no cost.
This would normally be something that owners would be expected to source themselves, but these are not normal circumstances. The council is prioritising requests from those more vulnerable in the first instance.
If you need help, contact the council by emailing environmental@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or phoning 01467 539539 (during office hours). The Environmental Health Service will respond as quickly as possible to your enquiry.
Long term, the service is providing advice on looking at future solutions such as support to help connect to the mains. If that is not possible, improvements to the current source or forming a new supply can be considered. Grants may be available for some of this work.
There are more than 7500 private water supplies in Aberdeenshire serving approximately 11,500 properties. This is by far the highest number of any local authority in Scotland. So far, the council has had 13 requests for support from residents.
There is some useful advice online here: http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/you-and-your-home/your-home/water-efficiency
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) reports that in the North East there is a significant scarcity of water in the Ythan and Deveron catchments, and a moderate scarcity here in North Kincardine.