Taiwan: Officials to implement water restrictions in some western counties and cities from Feb. 25

Event

The Ministry of Economic Affairs plans to expand water restrictions to additional areas of western Taiwan from Feb. 25 due to low water levels. Officials will increase the alert level for Chiayi County and Tainan to orange, the second-highest level, and the Water Resources Agency (WRA) will require industrial clients to reduce water usage by seven percent in these locations. Taichung and Hsinchu and Miaoli countries will also remain under an orange alert, but the WRA will lower industrial water usage by 11 percent in these locations.

Authorities will also increase the alert level to yellow, the second-lowest tier, for Kaohsiung and Changhua, Nantou, and Yunlin counties. Taoyuan remains under a yellow alert. Officials plan to reduce water pressure in these locations 2200-0600 daily, though specific times could vary by location.

Reduced water pressure is unlikely to impact residents significantly. However, some business disruptions are possible, especially for companies that rely on large quantities of municipal water for operations. Authorities have not announced when the rationing scheme will end.

Advice

Minimize water use during the rationing period daily. Confirm and stock up on alternative water supplies for business purposes. Water pressure and quality may be poor after normal service resumes daily; consider running taps for several minutes before using water.