Mingde Reservoir dips below 40% capacity as water supply tightens

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) The water level at the Mingde Reservoir in Miaoli County dropped below 40 percent of capacity on Monday, amid concerns that the water supply will tighten further as lower than average precipitation has been forecast for the next three months.

The water reserves of the Mingde Reservoir, which mainly supplies water for agricultural irrigation, fell to 37.1 percent of capacity, said Wong Chih-cheng (翁志成), an official with the Irrigation Agency's Miaoli Management Office.

That will only last about 30 days if there is no new rainfall given that the reservoir supplies about 136,000 cubic meters of water a day, Wong said, warning that Mingde's water level has been dipping lately.

The situation at the Mingde Reservoir mirrors that of other parts of the northern half of Taiwan.

On March 19, the Water Resources Agency (WRA) adjusted its drought monitoring signal for Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli in northern Taiwan and Taichung in central Taiwan from a blue light to a green light, reminding people to conserve water.

Under the agency's five-color signals, blue means a normal water supply, while green signals a tight water supply situation. Yellow, orange, and red lights indicate water shortages and increasingly severe water rationing measures.

As of Tuesday morning, Shihmen Reservoir, the second biggest reservoir in northern Taiwan, was down to 31.64 percent of capacity, and the Liyutan Reservoir in southern Miaoli County was down to 36.32 percent of capacity.

Wong said the Miaoli office is considering measures to save water, including a "4-on-4-off" rotation irrigation system starting April 4 for the 1,200 hectares of farmland that get their water from the Mingde Reservoir.

The plan, however, will still be adjusted in a timely manner depending on rainfall and the conditions of each farming area, he said.

Wong also noted that the reservoir's supply remains somewhat better than last year, when its reserves fell below 20 percent of capacity in late April 2023.

At the same time, the Miaoli County government's Water Resource Department has announced the establishment of five water recycling centers in the county to make free recycled water available to the public, according to Wong.

He said the centers can provide about 2,000 cubic meters of recycled water each day.