It has been reported that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) has triggered a battle for water between Chiayi and Yunlin counties, as the company is planning to build a factory in Chiayi County, but it has to transfer water from the Hushan Reservoir (湖山水庫) in Yunlin County, which has led to a backlash from Yunlin residents.
It was reported that even deep wells are failing to pump water in southern Taiwan, while Kaohsiung and Pingtung County are currently competing for water supply.
TSMC is often praised in Taiwan as the “sacred mountain protecting the country” and all local governments nationwide are eager for its investment.
LACK OF WATER
This highlights the predicament of insufficient water resources in many areas.
The Reclaimed Water Resources Development Act (再生水資源發展條例) and the Regulations on Governing the Developer’s Use of Reclaimed Water (開發單位使用再生水辦法) came into effect on Feb. 1, making it mandatory for an industrial water user with a planned water consumption of 20,000m3 or more per day, to reclaim at least half of the water used.
However, reclaimed water plants are unevenly distributed and they cannot supply enough water.
Even though the Cabinet has approved the construction of 11 reclaimed water plants, none of them are in Chiayi or Yunlin counties.
Chiayi County uses about 300,000 tonnes of water per day, including 110,000 tonnes from the Tsengwen Reservoir (曾文水庫) in the county and the Wushantou Reservoir (烏山頭水庫) in Tainan.
Yunlin County uses about 250,000 tonnes of water per day.
In addition to the Hushan Reservoir, Yunlin County also heavily relies on groundwater.
UNSUITABLE
Due to subsidence, the use of groundwater would have to be reduced, so both counties are not very suitable for large-scale users of water.
Water resources are considered national resources and water resource allocation has become the norm.
Since the authorities are facing difficulties opening new reservoirs, they have no choice but to strengthen such allocation.
TSMC is unable to use enough reclaimed water because the government does not have any reclaimed water source in the region, so it has no choice but to use water from the Hushan Reservoir, but the protests in Yunlin County should still be carefully responded to.
When the amount of available water is poor, the county’s own water use should be the priority.
DISSATISFACTION
As TSMC could have chosen either Chiayi County or Yunlin County, the losing county’s dissatisfaction is understandable, but all local governments need to speed up the planning and construction of reclaimed water plants, so they no longer have to wait for the Cabinet to favor them.
With sources of reclaimed water being an incentive, large-scale water users would surely then invest in the region.
Taking into account water safety and environmental justice, TSMC and other major profitable electronics companies should be required to build their own reclaimed water plants.
With the efficiency of the private sector, it would be possible to utilize reclaimed water much more quickly this way.
Chang Yen-ming is a former section head at the Water Resources Agency.
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