Taiwan: Officials to reduce water pressure 24 hours daily in Hsinchu, Taichung, and Miaoli as of March 4 /update 1

Event

The Water Resources Agency (WRA) will reduce water pressure 24 hours per day in Taichung and Hsinchu, and Miaoli counties as of March 4. These locations, as well as Chiayi County and Tainan, remain under an orange alert, the second-highest level, due to lower-than-normal rainfall in 2020. Officials will also require clients in orange-alert areas consuming more than 1,000 cubic meters (35,315 cubic feet) of water monthly to reduce usage by 20 percent.

Kaohsiung, Taoyuan, and Changhua, Nantou, and Yunlin counties remain under yellow alert, the second-lowest tier. 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. 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.