The Scottish Parliament has approved legislation banning industrial firms from using more than 10 million liters of water per day in an attempt to conserve water resources. However, the Scotch Whisky Association is claiming that plan could hurt the whisky industry’s ability to expand.
In a BBC News story, the SWA’s Gavin Hewitt expressed disappointment that the whisky industry was not exempted from the law, nor was it consulted on the potential impact.
Currently, no distillery uses that much water on a daily basis, but Hewitt believes it could set a precedent for future limit. Distilleries use large amounts of water in making whisky, but much of it is returned to its source almost immediately after being used for cooling.
Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged to work with the whisky industry and other stakeholders as regulations to implement the new law are drawn up.
