The Executive Yuan yesterday passed a draft version of the renewable water resources development act, which would require developers to install water recycling facilities in projects in areas prone to water shortages. Developers who fail to adhere to the terms of the draft are liable to fines ranging from NT$200,000 to NT$1 million (US$6,490 and US$32,470).
According to the draft act, county, municipal and city governments in such areas must invest in renewable resources or provide companies with renewable water resource technologies and access to local sewage plants free of charge.
The draft act forbids renewed water to be used for drinking purposes or by the food and pharmaceutical industries, the Executive Yuan said.
To address the higher unit price of renewed water, which fluctuates between NT$18 and NT$30 per kiloliter, more than the standard NT$12 per kiloliter for tap water, the draft act would allow the collection of water usage taxes from entities that use more than 1,000 kiloliters of tap water per month, the Executive Yuan said, adding that such taxes could be circumvented if users choose renewable water sources.
While prices would be set individually by private companies participating in the project, the rate must not only be reasonable in terms of the company’s own income and overhead costs during construction, but also be in accordance with an equation stipulated by the central government, the Executive Yuan said.
To prevent disputes over water usage between industry, agriculture and households, industrial zone water plants would be required to use a higher rate of recycled wastewater, adding that in the short term factories and industrial zones should look to decrease their reliance on tap water while looking toward 100 percent industrial wastewater recycling in the future, Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) said.
“As the climate changes, water policy is not just about seeking new sources or conservation,” Mao said. “We will have to go back to square one to think about it.”
Mao said to prevent future water-shortages, current water resource policies need a thorough review and if necessary, amendments.
The draft renewable water resources development act if passed by the Legislative Yuan, would supplement the Water Act (水利法) and the Tap Water Act (自來水法) and would have a positive effect on the allocation of water resources, Mao said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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