The Taipei Water Department yesterday said that it had deployed 120 water stations at public schools across the city that can be used by residents if water supplies are cut off during Typhoon Nepartak.
The water stations have been deployed at elementary and junior-high schools within 1km of residential areas, allowing residents to access potable water if the mains are switched off because water turbidity levels exceed 12,000 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), Department Commissioner Chen Chin-hsiang (陳錦祥) said, adding that stations are available in about 90 percent of Taipei.
People are advised to replenish water tanks at their homes and use water sparingly during the typhoon, Chen said.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that with the advent of the city’s typhoon water rationing rules — established last year after Typhoon Soudelor struck in August — city residents will “definitely” not be served turbid water this time.
“The water purification plants are to stop pumping water once turbidity reaches 12,000 NTU. How could there be murky water?” he said.
Ko underlined the importance of a planned pipeline connecting the Zhihtan Water Purification Plant in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) and the Feitsui Reservoir, which is scheduled to be completed in 2023 at the earliest.
The pipeline would supply water from the reservoir directly to the purification plant before it is distributed to the Greater Taipei area, so that water supplies would not be disrupted after the plant stops tapping water from the Nanshih River (南勢溪), which is prone to turn muddy during heavy rainfall.
The pipelineis estimated to cost NT$2 billion (US$61.7 million).
Asked by reporters whether he is concerned about the suspended Taipei Dome construction site causing casualties during Nepartak, Ko said that contractor Farglory Group should assume full responsibility for maintaining its property.
The Taipei Construction Management Office said that it had asked Farglory to heed the Building Act (建築法) and put in place typhoon-damage prevention measures at the site.
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