Renfrewshire residents are being asked to use water efficiently this autumn to help maintain normal supplies following a record dry period and low reservoir levels.

The plea to protect supplies has been made by Scottish Water and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) after a summer that brought long dry spells to the area.

Officials at SEPA say the significant rainfall deficit over recent months means double the normal amount of autumn rain is needed to return water levels in some areas back to normal for this time of year.

Kes Juskowiak, national water operations manager for Scottish Water, said: “People might assume that, because we are into autumn and there has been some rain recently and autumn is usually cooler and wetter, water saving is no longer an issue.

“Maintaining normal public water supplies remains a significant challenge for us. This is an unusual call in the autumn but we are experiencing exceptional circumstances due to a significant rainfall deficit.

“Hopefully, autumn will bring some respite but we need heavy and prolonged rainfall to get reservoir levels back up towards normal levels for this time of year.

“We are constantly monitoring weather systems and assessing their impact on our water sources, working closely with SEPA. However, the public can make an important contribution towards protecting supplies by taking small, simple steps to reduce water use.”

Measures which can be taken in and around the home to save water include taking shorter showers, turning taps off and using appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines only when fully loaded.

Businesses and commercial premises are also being asked to reduce non-essential water use.

For more advice on how to save water, visit www.scottishwater.co.uk/savewater.