The Keelung Bureau of Environmental Protection yesterday fined state-run Taiwan Water Corp (TWC) NT$500,000 over an oil spill that contaminated the water supply of more than 150,000 households.
The bureau said the fine was imposed under the Drinking Water Management Act (飲用水管理條例) for a serious contravention that endangered public health and safety.
Inspectors found that one of the oil-film detectors at TWC’s Badu pumping station was malfunctioning, which might have contributed to a delay in detecting the contamination, bureau Director Ma Chung-hao (馬仲豪) said.
Photo: CNA
The bureau is reviewing whether TWC’s equipment and emergency response deviated from its water pollution control plan, Ma said.
Bureau personnel arrived at the site within 30 minutes of TWC’s report early on Thursday, and began implementing pollution-control measures and daily water sampling at the Sinshan Water Treatment Plant, Sinshan Reservoir (新山水庫) and other areas, he said.
The bureau, police and TWC are seeking to trace the source of the contamination and would refer the case to prosecutors if any criminal liability is uncovered, Ma said.
Earlier yesterday, deputy director of TWC’s First Branch Chen Chao-hsien (陳昭賢) said the odor was detected at about 6am on Thursday.
Of the two oil-film detectors at the Badu intake, one was functioning, but failed to detect the spill due to weak early-morning light, while the second had been decommissioned and not yet removed, Chen said.
Keelung Mayor George Hsieh (謝國樑) earlier claimed that both devices were faulty.
Chen said the odor was first noticed by workers at the Sinshan Water Treatment Plant, prompting an immediate halt to river-water intake and a switch to Sinshan Reservoir.
Patrols later found oil patches along the Keelung River.
The utility is evaluating sensors capable of detecting dissolved pollutants and the river intake would remain suspended until the source is confirmed, Chen said.
Oil traces were found near Chongzhi Bridge, Nuannuan Bridge and the Dingnei gas station, where containment booms have been set up, the bureau said.
The incident affected about 105,000 households in Keelung and 47,000 in New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止), the Keelung City Government said.
The city filed a report with the Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday, which has already opened an investigation, Hsieh said.
The city and the Ministry of Environment are investigating the source of the pollution and have determined that it is likely industrial-grade oil contamination, Hsieh added.
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