Water cutoffs lifted for festival

The 36-hour water cutoff for Taoyuan County and 10 townships in Taipei County, which has been in effect since May 18, will be lifted for the first time tomorrow, the Cabinet's drought disaster-relief center announced yesterday.

Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪), executive-general of the center, said yesterday that recent heavy rains made it possible for people in catchment areas of the Shihmen Dam to enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) without worrying about the lack of water supply.

At yesterday's regular meeting held by the Cabinet's drought disaster-relief center, participants from diverse agencies, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Water Resources Agency (WRA) and chiefs of local governments, decided not to impose the 36-hour-water-cutoffs over the holiday weekend.

The regular weekend water-cutoffs have not been lifted yet, Kuo said, but the center considering lifting the restrictions at the end of June.

Recent showers

"Recent showers have eased the drought's stress a little bit, making it unnecessary for residents in Hsinchu and Miaoli counties to suffer from water rationing measures," Kuo said at a press conference yesterday.

That means residents, beginning today, can use tap water to wash their cars, fill up swimming pools, turn on fountains or for other recreational purposes.

Yesterday, the water level at the Paoshan Dam (寶山水庫) reached the full reservoir level, ensuring water supply to Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City.

Kuo stressed, however, that water conservation is still important because the "plum rains" would stop at the end of June. After that people could only depend on typhoons and afternoon showers to refill reservoirs, he added.

Reduced-pressure evening water supply restrictions in the Hsinchu area will remain in effect until the Shihmen Dam is at full capacity, Kuo said.

By yesterday, the water surface at the reservoir had risen to the 202m level, marking the highest level since early May when the water rationing measures began. The water in the reservoir accounts for about 6.2 percent of its effective capacity.

"As long as the water surface reaches the 205m level, we will consider lifting the water restrictions," Chen Shen-hsien (陳伸賢), the WRA's spokesman and deputy director, said yesterday.

Shihmen dam

Recent showers brought the Shihmen Dam more than 200mm of rainfall. Meanwhile, water resources officials said yesterday that river water at Sanhsia River (三峽河) and Tahan River (大漢溪) had been channeled to supply residents in Panchiao and Hsintien townships in Taipei County, which were originally supplied by the Shihmen Dam, before the river water runs into the sea.

Feisui Reservois

The Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫), Taipei County, accumulated about 20mm rainfall yesterday, lifting its water surface to 121.75 level. Water stored at the reservoir was about 10.36 percent of its capacity.

According to Taipei City government spokesman Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), the government would decide today if water cutoffs would be lifted tomorrow.

Yesterday, weather forecasters at the Central Weather Bureau kept warning that mountainous areas in northern Taiwan were anticipating torrential rains brought by a low-pressure area, which would not leave Taiwan until tomorrow.