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Rain brings end to water restrictions

All existing restrictions on household water use were lifted yesterday, after both the Cabinet and Taipei City Government evaluated available water sources at two major reservoirs in northern Taiwan.

The Cabinet's drought disaster-relief center officially announced the lifting of all water rationing measures in the areas affected by the Shihmen Dam (石門水庫) in Taoyuan County yesterday.

"Water restrictions on household use and irrigation use have been lifted today because now we have about 180 million tonnes of water stored at the reservoir," Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪), executive-general of the center.

Lee Tieh-min (李鐵民), head of the North Water Resources Bureau under the Water Resources Agency, said at the meeting that the water surface at the Shihmen Dam was at the 242m-level, approaching the full water level of 245m.

Kuo also said that farmers would receive the water needed for their summer irrigation and instructed the Ministry of Economic Affairs to compensate farmers -- who were affected by water controls imposed in March and early May -- within two weeks.

The Cabinet's center was then decommissioned yesterday after Kuo chaired the last meeting on the drought.

"I'm in a very good mood today because we have finally seen a happy ending of the 66-day fight against the drought," Kuo said.

The Cabinet's drought disaster-relief center was established on May 1 to assist local governments with their drought-relief efforts. Kuo, who normally serves as chairwoman of the Cabinet's Public Construction Commission, was tapped by Premier Yu Shyi-kun to head the task force.

During her 66-day tenure, Kuo was criticized by Taipei City Government water-resources officials as being unprofessional.

At yesterday's meeting, Kuo quarreled with Tsay Huei-sheng (蔡輝昇), director of the Taipei Water Department, about whether the city should transfer water from reservoirs in Keelung and Hsinchu counties by truck to satisfy the demands of swimming pools and carwashes, as suggested by Kuo.

Tsay said that the idea had been studied by the city and was not feasible.

"We've found that the idea isn't feasible and that the cost of transferring water by truck would be 81 times the cost of using aqueducts," Tsay said.

Kuo responded angrily, saying that the city had politicized the drought.

"I'm sorry to see old aqueducts polluting water and to see how the simple issue of water distribution has been discussed politically, rather than rationally," Kuo said.

Kuo also said that Taiwan still had a lot of room for improvement when it comes to dealing with droughts.

Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) announced yesterday afternoon that residents supplied by water from the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) would be free from all water controls, which were imposed on May 1.

Water supplies to swimming pool operators and the car-wash industry, however, would be resumed at 80 percent of original demand, Ma said. That restriction will be lifted if the water surface at Feitsui Reservoir reaches the 141m level, Ma said.

By 7pm yesterday, the reservoir was at the 133.06m level.

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