Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (新竹科學園區) doesn't have to go thirsty any longer.
As of yesterday, 60,000 tonnes of water are being diverted each day from Taipei County's Feitsui Reservoir (
"We hope to see the daily water supply increase to 80,000 tonnes while preserving the water supply at the Paoshan Dam (寶山水庫) and Yunghoshan Reservoir (永和山水庫), as their water levels are dropping," said Chang Ming-han (張明翰), an official at the Taiwan Water Supply Corp (台灣自來水).
Hsinchu began the first-phase of water conservation measures on Dec. 8 last year.
A total of 5,170 hectares of rice paddies in the Touchien River (頭前溪) irrigation area and Fengshan River (鳳山溪) irrigation area will also stop irrigation to ensure stable water supplies for household and industrial usage.
The greater Hsinchu area requires 420,000 tonnes of water daily. In addition to the Paoshan Dam and Yunghoshan Reservoir, the area obtains 200,000 tonnes of water from Touchien River and 40,000 tonnes more from Nanya Water Treatment Plant (
With the implementation of various water conservation measures, Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday said that the water supply for northern and southern Taiwan is estimated to last until the first half of the year.
The Cabinet held a regular weekly meeting yesterday morning regarding the water shortage and vowed to ensure stable water supplies used for household and industrial purposes, Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (
According to the Water Res-ources Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the drought over the past three years has made the rainfall in Shihmen Dam (石門水庫) dwindle by 45 percent compared to the average annual rainfall over the past few years. The Tsengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫) has also seen its rainfall decrease by 30 percent.
To ensure a sufficient water supply for household and industrial usage in southern Taiwan by June, the government plans to freeze the irrigation of 18,830 hectares of rice paddies in the Tsengwen-Wushantou (
It is estimated that subsidy payments for the fallow fields may cost the government NT$2.5 billion.
The Cabinet also plans to suspend irrigation at 36,000 hectares of rice paddies in Taoyuan irrigation area and Shihmen irrigation region, allowing an adequate water supply in northern Taiwan before the end of May.
In addition, the Taipei City Government should expedite the first-phase water supply improvement project to Taipei County's Panchiao and Hsintien cities.
Once completed, the two cities will receive an estimated 530,000 tonnes of water daily, or 200,000 tonnes more than it does now, from Feitsui Reservoir, which is located in Taipei County but owned by Taipei City.
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