Water emergency enters second stage

As of today, Taipei City municipal units are forbidden to use tap water to operate ornamental fountains, wash down buildings or water trees. Next week, stricter rationing measures will be imposed to limit water use for recreational purposes at both public and private places, the Taipei City Government announced yesterday.

To ease drought pressure in the agricultural counties of Taoyuan and Miaoli, the Water Resources Agency (WRA, 水利署) today will begin pumping groundwater from 79 deep wells, which are used for irrigation use in times of drought.

The Taipei City Government yesterday established a task force to deal with drought measures headed by Taipei City Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der (歐晉德).

Ou said water levels at the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) are so low that the threat to residents of Taipei is real and immediate.

On April 23, the city announced the first phase of water-rationing measures, keeping shut public swimming pools that were slated to reopen today.

The second stage of rationing, according to Tsay Huei-sheng (蔡輝昇), director of the Taipei Water Department, includes five phases.

The first phase of the second-stage measures, beginning today, restricts the municipal watering of trees and lawns, the cleaning of buildings and the operation of fountains with tap water.

The government is also shutting down 51 spigots used by city agencies in the exercise of their duties.

The second phase, Tsay said, would begin on May 8, when both public and private recreational areas, including swimming pools, saunas, car washes and beauty spas are scheduled to shut down. Violators face water suspensions, officials said.

Whether phases three to five actually take place depends entirely on water levels at the Feitsui Reservoir -- in other words, on the weather.

If and when the following stages are implemented, places affected will include public agencies, department stores, hotels, gas stations, schools, temples and private businesses of all kinds.

The task force is also mulling the pumping of groundwater from 10 emergency wells the Taipei City Government controls.

In Taipei County, officials said yesterday that 75 public and private swimming pools would remain closed and operators of saunas, car washes and beauty spas have been advised to cut water use. The county government seeks to save 11,000 tonnes of water per day.

Decrying nature's stinginess over recent months, the WRA today will begin pumping groundwater from the 79 deep wells in Taoyuan and Miaoli Counties, set aside exclusively for emergency irrigation use. The daily supply of water from each of the wells, established between 1988 and 1990, ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 tonnes, officials said.

"We've approved the resumption of deep well pumping in the two counties and are considering new emergency deep wells in Hsinchu County," Chen Shen-hsien (陳伸賢), the WRA's spokesman and deputy director, said yesterday.

In the south, officials at the Taiwan Water Supply Corp said yesterday that beginning Friday, water supplies during the evening would be reduced by 15 percent.