Taiwan raises water alert for Hsinchu, lowers nighttime supply pressure

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) The Water Resources Agency (WRA) on Thursday raised the water alert level for the Hsinchu area, Taiwan's high-tech hub, and began implementing reduced-pressure water supply from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., to conserve water, according to a statement.

Following the decision, Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) announced that non-essential or non-urgent water use, such as operating fountains, washing building exteriors, and cleaning drains, will be suspended.

Meanwhile, water supply for non-essential purposes at government agencies and state-owned enterprises will also be suspended, the WRA said in a press release.

Raising the water alert from green (normal supply) to yellow for Hsinchu is a precautionary measure to ensure the continued supply of public water through the end of May, due to expected below-normal precipitation before the plum rain season in May, the agency said.

According to Hsinchu County government, rainfall in the Hsinchu area has been lower than usual since November last year, with each month recording less than 30 mm, which is only about 20-30 percent of the historical average, causing the water level of Touqian River, Baoshan Reservoir and Second Baoshan Reservoir, the main local water sources, to steadily drop.

The government will take various measures to ensure stable water supply in the Hsinchu area, including drawing 175,000 tons of water daily from Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan and 55,000 tons from Yungheshan Reservoir in Miaoli, said the WRA under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.