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Commission says most hot springs fail checks

With the mercury dropping over the Lunar New Year, hot springs are expected to be one of the biggest attractions during the holiday break. However, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) yesterday warned the public to check for safety and sanitation before taking the plunge.

"Only two of the 541 hot spring establishments around the country have passed the CPC's safety and sanitary regulation checks and obtained hot spring certifications," commission director-general and senior consumer ombudsman Wu Cheng-hsueh (吳政學) told a press conference.

NO HOT SPRING

One resort -- Langkei Motel (人客溫泉旅館) in Taoyuan County -- did not even use hot spring water, Wu said.

The two certified hot springs are Tang-wei Hot Spring (湯圍風呂) in Ilan County and King's Resort and Spa (錦水溫泉飯店) in Miaoli County, the commission said.

Although obtaining a hot spring certification is not mandated until July 2010, the number of hot springs that failed to meet regulations is alarming, consumer ombudsman Chang Mei-ying (張美英) said.

She said that "37.8 percent of the 74 hot springs investigated [excluding those in Taipei City] neglected to post safety precautions inside the facilities; 67.6 percent did not advise consumers of the high water temperature; and 86.5 percent did not post warning that the water isn't drinkable."

In terms of facility usage and safety, the hot springs were also below par, she said, with 66.2 percent failing at least one safety rule.

"In particular, 43.2 percent of the establishments used their facility space different from what was allowed by their business licenses," Chang said.

VIOLATION

"In fact, the violation percentage is 100 percent in Hsinchu and Kaohsiung counties," she said.

Of the 155 hot springs -- including those in Taipei City -- investigated for fire safety, 21.9 percent violated one or more regulations, Chang said

She added that 21.9 percent failed to meet one or more sanitation regulations, with about 10 percent of them exceeding permissible E. Coli levels.

Although the 81 hot springs in Taipei City were excluded from many of the commission's investigation because the city had already conducted partial checkups, the establishments in the nation's capital statistically fared much better than those in other parts of the country.

Commission statistics showed that 100 percent of hot springs in Taipei City adhered to fire safety regulations, and 97.5 percent passed sanitation regulations.
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