The Future of Islay: Creating a Resilient Water Supply

September 4, 2024


A breath-taking island located in the southern Inner Hebrides, Islay is renowned for its peaty whiskies and is home to several active distilleries. Distilling plays a vital role on this small island, drawing global tourists and fuelling its economy.


Distilleries on Islay face significant water management challenges due to the island's environmental and hydrological conditions and growing pressures of climate change. Addressing these issues requires innovative solutions and advanced planning to ensure the long-term sustainability of whisky production on the island.


Our expert technical team, with over 14 years of experience supporting clients in the distilling and malting industry, includes our Principal Hydrogeologist, Chris Woodhouse.


We asked Chris for his insight on how our industry experience aligns with the challenges faced today.

Chris, could you give us an overview of the challenges currently facing distilleries on Islay?


Water availability is a huge problem across the island and, despite Islay's geographic location on the West of Scotland, water availability is something that should not be taken for granted.


Islay is a small island with similarly small catchments, with the flow of the burns that drain them being dependent on recent rainfall. Also, many of the lochs on Islay are shallow, resulting in limited water storage capacity. This makes the catchments on the island vulnerable to even short droughts. Additionally, groundwater is not always an option due to the nature of the underlying ground conditions. These conditions can lead to insufficient water supply for operations, and has caused production delays and operational shutdowns for some distilleries.


Regulatory requirements for water usage and discharge are also becoming stricter, with compliance of these regulations often requiring significant investment in water management or engineering systems, which can be challenging for smaller distilleries.


Have you assisted many clients on Islay in overcoming these challenges?


Across our team, we have been involved in helping multiple sites with their water management challenges. However, this is no easy task, with nine active distilleries currently in operation and three in development, resulting in significant competition.


Our support begins with developing a thorough understanding of water supply and discharge network and our client's requirements. We then use that understanding to tailor recommendations and strategies to enhance water supply resilience, ensure regulatory compliance and future proof operations in the long-term.


How can distilleries on Islay build resilience and manage drought?


The monitoring and smart management of water levels can help distilleries keep track of their water usage. By only abstracting water required, this can help maintain supply throughout drought-prone seasons, helping to maintain consistent production levels. This is not always possible however where there is insufficient storage in the system and it may be necessary to look at new supply options.


Sounds challenging, where can I find out more?


The overall water management of distilleries across Islay is difficult, with numerous hurdles to overcome and factors to consider. Our aim as water specialists is to help develop our client's water resilience with climate change in mind, to future-proof the supplies that will benefit them for many years to come.


That is why we have created a one day Envireau Knowledge pop-up event: From Source to Spirit: A Distillers Masterclass to a Climate Resilient Water Supply.


At our event, I will be discussing in greater depth the physical and regulatory challenges and the practical steps necessary to overcome these and build resilience.


Don't miss out on securing your distillery's future - discover the full details and conference programme here: envireauwater.co.uk


About Envireau Water 


At Envireau Water, we are a team of expert water scientists and engineers, who provide guidance on the management and regulation of natural water systems across the UK. By working collaboratively with our clients and the regulators, we deliver robust sustainable solutions that meet the requirements of all stakeholders. With an incredibly loyal client base and our ability to work seamlessly throughout the four nations of the UK, many of our clients know us individually and trust us to find resolutions to their water problems for years to come. 


Connect with us on LinkedIn to hear the latest industry developments and updates regarding our team. 



Envireau Water is an RSK Group Company. 

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