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Information regarding water bodies designated as protected areas. A significant number of the water bodies in Scotland are designated as protected areas. This is because of their importance for special purposes such as wildlife conservation, drinking water supply, shellfish harvesting or bathing. These designated areas are vital to ensure that the diverse ecosystems and cultural and economic benefits contained within them are safeguarded. Protected areas are als

Legislation directs SEPA to assess and classify each shellfish protected area. To deliver this we work closely with Food Standards Scotland (FSS). FSS sample, analyse and report water quality in production areas throughout the year to ensure shellfish are safe for consumption, or determine if they require further treatment. At the end of each year FSS provide SEPA with this data who use it to clas

Waste from all sources Discover Data toolLast updated: 15th July 2025 Household Waste Discover Data toolLast updated: 28th October 2025 This page presents data and information on the types and quantities of waste generated and managed across Scotland. The Scotland’s Environment Waste Discover Data tool presents waste from all sources, i.e. from households, the construction and demolition sector, a

The majority of dams will require an authorisation from SEPA under "The Water Environment (Controlled Activities)(Scotland) Regulations 2011 (CAR). This authorisation number will start CAR/.../... If you don't have a CAR authorisation for your dam, then you should contact your local SEPA team to discuss this. You can find more advice on impoundments and water resources authorisations on our Enviro