Hsinchu residents urged to conserve water as reservoir levels drop

The Water Resources Agency urged residents in Hsinchu to conserve water as levels in Baoshan Reservoir and Second Baoshan Reservoir decline, mainly due to reduced rainfall.

According to the Central Weather Administration, rainfall from March to April may be below average. Coupled with increased irrigation demand for rice cultivation in February and March, water levels in the two reservoirs are expected to keep declining.

The agency said that reservoir storage levels across the country have been dropping, mainly due to reduced rainfall since November. It added that household and industrial water supplies remain unaffected so far.

Baoshan Reservoir’s storage level has fallen to 29.44%, the lowest among reservoirs nationwide, while the Second Baoshan Reservoir stands at 45%. Combined storage in February was about 6.23 million metric tonnes lower compared with the same period over the past five years.

The two reservoirs are the main water source for Hsinchu Science Park, especially for semiconductor foundries, supplying up to 190,000 metric tonnes daily.

To stabilize supplies, the government is constructing a pipeline linking Shimen Reservoir to the two reservoirs in Hsinchu, aiming to ensure an uninterrupted supply. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of this year and will support up to 300,000 metric tonnes of water daily for Hsinchu.

The agency said the county’s backup wells along the Touqian River can supply up to 31,000 metric tonnes of water daily. Water from Shimen and Yongheshan Reservoirs in Miaoli is also being managed through existing pipelines to support Hsinchu’s supply.

To ensure a steady water supply, the agency is also using river and groundwater, along with water from seven recycled water plants and the desalination plant in Yunlin. The water is sent through pipelines to areas with shortages.

In addition, the agency has teamed up with the Irrigation Agency to strengthen irrigation management. It will keep monitoring weather conditions and conduct artificial rainfall operations in reservoir catchment areas.