Taiwan Raises Water Alert for Hsinchu as Water Levels Drop

Hsinchu: The Water Resources Agency (WRA) on Thursday elevated the water alert level for Hsinchu, Taiwan's high-tech hub, and initiated reduced-pressure water supply from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to conserve water. According to Focus Taiwan, Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke declared that non-essential or non-urgent water use, such as operating fountains, washing building exteriors, and cleaning drains, will be suspended. Additionally, the water supply for non-essential purposes at government agencies and state-owned enterprises will also be halted, as confirmed by the WRA in a press release. The decision to raise the water alert from green (normal supply) to yellow is a precautionary measure to ensure the continued supply of public water through the end of May. This decision comes in anticipation of below-normal precipitation before the plum rain season in May, the agency stated. The Hsinchu County government reported that rainfall in the area has been below average since November last year, with each month recording less than 30 mm, which is only about 20-30 percent of the historical average. This has caused the water levels of the Touqian River, Baoshan Reservoir, and Second Baoshan Reservoir, the main local water sources, to steadily decline. To maintain a stable water supply in the Hsinchu area, the WRA, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, will implement various measures, including drawing 175,000 tons of water daily from Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan and 55,000 tons from Yungheshan Reservoir in Miaoli.