The arrival of Typhoon Haitang early this week has increased the turbidity of water in rivers nationwide, leaving more than 600,000 residents in several counties without running water for the last five days.
In southern Taoyuan County, one of the worst affected areas, water restrictions might continue until tomorrow, the Taiwan Water Supply Corporation (TWSC) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
Due to the high turbidity, the single water-treatment plant in the county can only treat 400,000 tonnes of water a day, as opposed to the usual 600,000 tonnes. Water restrictions have been imposed in several communities in southern Taoyuan.
PHOTO: YEH YUNG CHIEN, TAIPEI TIMES
Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh (
In addition to Taoyuan, residents in some communities in Hsinchu, Tainan and Kaohsiung counties also suffered water restrictions. TWSC officials said yesterday that it would take two or three days to have the normal tap-water supply up and running.
Taoyuan County Commissioner Chu Li-lun (朱立倫) yesterday inspected affected areas. Hundreds of families in Pateh (八德市) and Tahsi (大溪) townships now rely on potable water delivered by trucks.
Although TWSC officials have promised to restore normalcy to people's lives by noon tomorrow, Chu said that he now has become well prepared for an even worse development.
Chu said he had arranged a back-up for the local fire department to deal with the delivery of potable water to affected residents in the future.
In southern Taoyuan, the water supply had been cut for more than two weeks after torrential rains triggered by Typhoon Aere, which hit Taiwan on Aug. 25 last year, washing tonnes of mud into the Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan outside Taipei. High turbidity burdened local water-treatment plants.
"We, the local government, have contacted the TWSC many times to ask for a specific date when water supply would return to normal, but an answer was never forthcoming," Chu said.
In southern Taiwan, floods washed away Fengkang Bridge (楓港橋) and ruined pipes carrying tap water to several coastal townships. The absence of the bridge has left Hengchuen Peninsula isolated. Yesterday, while the army and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications made efforts to complete temporary bridges, the TSWC were busy repairing aquaducts and pipes.
TWSC officials said yesterday that it is still uncertain when normal water supply will be restored in remote villages in mountainous townships, including Sandimen (三地門) and Machia (瑪家), because damaged access roads had not yet been repaired.
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