The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) denied a media report published yesterday which said that phase-three water rationing imposed on parts of New Taipei City and neighboring Taoyuan would be lifted soon.
“It is too early and too risky to do so,” Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Yang Wei-fu (楊偉甫) said in response to a report in the China Times that water rationing measures, which have been in place since April 8 in the two municipalities, would be removed on Wednesday next week.
“Some local governments might make such a suggestion at the water shortage meeting on Monday, but the MOEA would not endorse the idea,” he said.
The water level at Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) is only at 22.3 percent of capacity, the Water Resources Agency yesterday said.
Although rain fell across the nation on Saturday due to the arrival of the annual spring rains, Yang said the Central Weather Bureau has yet to collect more information and judge whether there would be sufficient rainfall to ease the current water shortage.
Under the current water rationing measures, residents in parts of New Taipei City and Taoyuan have tap water supplies cut on two days per week on a rotating basis.
As Taiwan continues to battle its worst water shortage in decades, third-phase water rationing was imposed for the first time on April 8 in parts of New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan.
The first and second-phase rationing currently in place in Tainan and Kaohsiung entails reduced water pressure at night and restricting water supply by 10 percent to consumers who usually use more than 1,000 m3 per month.
Meanwhile, the supply of tap water to Kaohsiung households is set to be cut completely two days per week on a rotating basis as third-phase water rationing measures are due to be imposed today.
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