Question reference: S3W-09410
- Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Ochil, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 1 February 2008
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Current status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 February 2008
Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any activities by Scottish Water or other public agencies in the area of the River Devon and Glendevon reservoir on 26 January 2008 which could have resulted in a substantial change in water levels on the River Devon that day.
Answer
Scottish Water has confirmed that it did not carry out any activities in the reservoir system connected to the River Devon which could have resulted in a substantial change in water levels on the River Devon on 26 January 2008. Scottish Water''s reservoirs in this area actually act as a buffer in periods of heavy rainfall and reduce the rate that water enters the River Devon by absorbing rainfall into the body of the reservoir.
On 26 January 2008, river levels would have been affected by the unprecedented level of rainfall which had occurred over the previous three days, with especially heavy rainfall on 25 January. Scottish Water records rainfall levels on site and this information is regularly provided to the Met Office. Over the three day period from 23 January to 25 January 2008, Scottish Water recorded rainfall levels of 182mm. The rainfall on 25 January was 99.2mm, and records from 1950 to 2008 show that this is the highest level of rainfall ever recorded within a 24-hour period at this location. Prior to this, the highest level of rainfall within a 24-hour period had been 70.9mm on 2 May 1982.