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Editorial: Looking for the silver lining

If the drought in northern Taiwan was not already enough of an ordeal for the nation's water supply system, recent tests have shown serious problems in both the quality and quantity of the water supply.

Water levels at reservoirs continue to fall -- a disheartening reminder of the fact that more than six months without rain and the reservoirs will bottom out. The government announced water-rationing measures mid-month in order to make the water in the reservoirs last until the "plum rains" arrive. The TSU expressed doubts about Taipei's water-rationing measures, believing Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) might have concealed information on Feitsui Reservoir's storage capacity and tried to use rationing to scare city's residents. However, rationing has reduced daily water demand by almost one-fourth and more than 80 percent of Taipei residents support the measures. The recent rains were limited, but they provided some breathing space.

Meanwhile, there are serious leaks in the water supply systems around the country and there is little sign that the authorities are taking strong enough action to correct the situation. How much water is lost from leaking pipelines is a mystery. In a recent letter to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) said that new reservoirs should not be built, but that water shortages could be resolved by simply using the reservoir budgets to redress the leakage problem. Lee's suggestion triggered a lot of controversy, including questions about its feasibility. Nevertheless, his letter served to highlight the serious leakage problem in the nation's water supply system.

There have also been reports of water contamination since water rationing began in northern Taiwan, with large numbers of residents in Taipei City and Taipei County suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. It turns out that the water supply was easily contaminated for two reasons -- both of which should have been easy to avoid. The first is that some water pumps were not shut off during the cut-off periods, so they ended up sucking in E. Coli-contaminated water through cracks in the pipes. The second problem is the poor pipeline design at some private buildings, where water pipes were laid too close to sewer pipes -- allowing for easy contamination when aging pipes start to leak or are damaged.

The drought has been a test highlighting the problems in Taiwan's water supply system. The government and the private sector should take advantage of the lessons and time provided by the drought and water rationing to improve both the administration of and facilities for water supply. An all-round review of water storage capacity at the nation's reservoirs and the demand volumes should be carried out as soon as possible. If more reservoirs or artificial lakes are needed, they should be built.

Authorities already know that silting is a serious problem at reservoirs, reducing storage capacity and shortening the lifespan of the reservoirs. The government should take advantage of droughts to remove the silt and improve the reservoirs. Water management authorities should also take advantage of the water rationing system to conduct inspection and repairs of old pipelines. Consumers could also pitch in by taking advantage of the dry days in their neighborhoods to fix the pipelines in their communities and clean out their cisterns.

The drought could prove to have a silver lining if both the government and the people take to heart water conservation measures and take the time to improve the water supply system.
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