The truck backs up, a hose goes on, and water starts flowing in. This isn’t a water plant, but a construction site near the Central Taiwan Science Park. In an unprecedented move, the construction firm is offering groundwater on the site to tech companies in need.
Voice of Nina Kao, TSMC spokeswoman: We hope to stay within the widest bounds of the restrictions, to reduce our use of reservoir water by making effective use of water resources.
With TSMC’s Taichung plant looking for water, many neighboring developers have reached out with offers of free groundwater that can be recycled. By current estimates, 20,000 tons of groundwater can be supplied by neighboring sites every day. Meanwhile, Hsinchu Science Park is thirsty, too.
Early in the morning, the water truck drives up to the water purification plant in Taoyuan’s Pingzhen. Water is piped into the tank, and then it’s off to Hsinchu, where the shortage gets worse by the day. At the Baoshan and Second Baoshan reservoirs, the sides of the embankment are exposed, parts of it covered with cracked earth. The two dams hold a combined 3.83 million tons of water. It’s a worrying figure, but the economics minister says that for now, Hsinchu’s water rationing won’t be tightened.
Wang Mei-hua, economics minister: The pipeline connecting Taoyuan and Hsinchu can provide more than 20,000 tons of water every day. There are also desalination plants, which can supply 13,000 tons of water every day. That’s why this time, we did not decide to issue a red alert for Hsinchu.
Lee Cheng-ta, Taiwan Water Corporation: Currently, the Xinshan reservoir is at 90% capacity. It’s at 90% because, of course, it’s located in northeast Taiwan, and it’s currently the rainy season in the north. So, it can be utilized if we get instructions from above.
Located in a windward area, Keelung’s Xinshan Reservoir is nearing full capacity. Local authorities say water can be transported to drought-stricken areas farther south. The hope now is that reservoirs will be replenished in May, with the start of plum rains.
Chang Cheng-chuan, CWB forecaster: Starting tomorrow and until next Thursday, or even until next Friday, most areas of Taiwan will see clear to cloudy skies.
Taiwan’s drought is the worst in Miaoli and Taichung, where a red alert will be issued April 6. In Hsinchu, Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the drought alert is currently at orange, though it could change if plum rains fail to deliver.
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