Keelung ready to impose tougher water restrictions

Keelung City will impose a second phase of water restrictions starting Saturday, while the water supply for central and southern Taiwan is sufficient to last until September.

Keelung Ilan have not had rain for a consecutive 42 days, lowering the water level of the Feitsui Reservoir -- the primary source of water for the greater Taipei area -- to 141m, or 36.32 percent of its capacity.

When the second phase is imposed, water supplies to swimming pools, car washes, saunas and other heavy users will be cut by as much as four-fifths.

Penghu County is already under the second phase of water restrictions.

Keelung City launched the first phase of water restrictions on July 29. Other areas under the first phase of restrictions are Taipei City, Taoyuan County and Hsinchu County.

When the first stage of conservation measures is imposed, water pressure is reduced between 10pm and 6am.

At a press conference after the weekly closed-door Cabinet meeting, Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) called on the public to economize its use of water.

"Our goal is to keep the total use of water for household purposes at 142 million tonnes [a year], for industrial purposes at 42 million tonnes and for agricultural purposes at 185 million tonnes," Lin quoted Premier Yu Shui-kun as saying.

Yu asked government agencies to compensate farmers who have had to let rice paddies go fallow.

Yu the remarks after being briefed during yesterday's Cabinet meeting by the Water Resources Agency under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

According to Lin, people should brace for a water shortage because the weather forecast suggests that August will see little rainfall.

"We're putting our hopes on the typhoon season and the water conservation measures implemented. Hopefully, we'll be able to survive this year's dry season," Lin said.