Drip Feed: Water talk straight from the source

What makes the perfect cup of tea, and why does Scotland’s water make such a difference? In this episode of Drip Feed, Mariella is joined by Richard Ross from Tea Scotland and Matt Martin, Team Leader in Scottish Water’s Microbiology Lab, to explore the relationship between Scottish drinking water, soft water and the flavour of tea. Discover why Scotland’s generally soft water can help tea reveal...

What is really lurking beneath our streets, and what can we all do to stop feeding the sewer monsters? In this Halloween episode of Drip Feed, host Georgie Reid is joined by Catherine Gemmell from the Marine Conservation Society and Scottish Water’s Ross Graham. Together, they follow the journey from toilet and kitchen sink to sewer network, treatment works and Scotland’s beaches and seas. Hear ab...

What does water have to do with winning, recovery, focus and everyday wellbeing? More than you might think. In this episode of Drip Feed, host Clare Smith is joined by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist gymnast Cameron Lynn and Dr Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez, Senior Lecturer in Physiology and Nutrition at the University of Stirling. Cameron shares the story behind his medal and explains how water sup...

Claire is joined by Brian McCarthy, Water Resource and Demand Manager at Scottish Water, and climate activist and environmental scientist Laura Anderson to discuss why saving water isn’t front of mind in Scotland despite rising pressures from climate change and seasonal demand. They explain that Scotland’s abundant rainfall and reliable infrastructure can mask the reality that Scottish Water only...

Soak Up the Rain: How Scotland Can Reduce Flood Risk at Home and in Communities. Georgie hosts Drip Feed Water Talk with Scottish Water flooding team member Anneliese McMillan and gardener Brian, “The Ginger Gardener,” to explain why flooding is increasing in Scotland due to changing rainfall patterns bringing short, intense storms. They describe how combined sewer systems carry both foul wastewat...

Reservoir Water Safety: Hidden Hazards, Cold Water Shock, and How to Stay Safe. In this Drip Feed episode, host Georgie speaks with Scottish Water chief reservoir ranger David “Davy” and Kirsty Doig of the Darcey Sunshine Foundation about why reservoirs are especially dangerous compared with pools or the sea. They explain that reservoirs are operational water-supply sites with industrial infrastru...

Reservoir Rangers: Responsible Access, Wildlife, and Looking After Scotland’s Water   Mariella hosts Drip Feed with reservoir rangers Josh and Helen to discuss Scottish Water’s role in caring for 300 reservoirs around Scotland. They discuss what reservoirs are and why they matter for drinking water. While also explaining what a reservoir ranger is, and their role in protecting the landscape that s...

The Drip Feed Water Talk hosts catch up with Adam about where he’ll take his newly upgraded camper van, including Torridon, the Isle of Arran, Skye, and more Highlands travel, while emphasizing visiting off-season to reduce pressure on busy areas. They discuss how tourism strains local resources, noting Arran’s population can increase fivefold in peak season and that water has been tankered to Arr...

Van Life in Scotland: Water, Waste, and Responsible Outdoor Access Flora and Mariella, hosts of Drip Feed, speak with guest Adam Raja to discuss van life, active travel, and camping in Scotland’s wild spaces. Adam explains how discovering videos of Glencoe and the Isle of Skye on Instagram in his early twenties sparked his obsession with Scotland’s landscapes and led him to convert a camper van to...

In Episode 2 of Drip Feed, we dive into the history of water & the fact that the water we drink today has been on Earth for billions of years, recycled again and again through rivers, clouds, ice, living things… and yes, even dinosaurs. From Victorian engineering to modern science, we explore what’s changed in how we manage water, how it travels from source to tap, and why protecting it matter...

Earth is known as the “blue planet” but the amount of water we can actually use might surprise you. In this episode of Drip Feed, we zoom out to explore water on a global scale. How much of the world’s water is actually fresh? What even counts as “fresh water”? And why is the amount we can drink such a tiny fraction of what exists on Earth? We also look at Scotland’s relationship with water, the m...