Ministry of Economic Affairs: Rainfall in Catchment Areas Eases Southern Water Woes

(CNA, Taipei, June 6, by reporter Su Si-yun) The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced today that due to recent rainfall being concentrated in reservoir catchment areas, water levels at the Tsengwen, Wushantou, and Nanhua reservoirs have begun to rise. Currently, these Tainan reservoirs hold about 83 million tons of water. With the completion of irrigation for the first crop season, there is a safe one-month supply of public water through the end of June.

The MOEA posted on Facebook today to address the recent water levels in southern reservoirs and water quality issues at the Wushantou Reservoir.

The MOEA noted that the recent rain has helped to alleviate the water situation in the south. As this rainfall was mostly concentrated in the reservoir catchment areas, the water storage in the Tsengwen, Wushantou, and Nanhua reservoirs has been continuously increasing. Among them, the Tsengwen and Wushantou reservoirs have seen an increase of about 9.2 million tons, while the Nanhua Reservoir has increased by about 2.5 million tons.

The MOEA explained that the Tsengwen, Wushantou, and Nanhua reservoirs in Tainan currently hold about 83 million tons of water. Combined with the completion of irrigation for the first crop season, this ensures a safe one-month supply of public water until the end of June.

Regarding external doubts about the water quality of Wushantou, the MOEA stated that in addition to the Ministry of Agriculture's Irrigation Agency continuously testing and publishing water quality data on its official website, the MOEA commissioned the Industrial Technology Research Institute on May 13 to conduct further sampling and testing around the Wushantou site. The results showed that the water quality meets the standards for drinking water sources. The empirical data indicates the water is safe, and the public can be at ease; no heavy metals, including "lead," were detected.

Furthermore, the MOEA urged the public not to mistake extreme experiments for real-world conditions. The Ministry of Environment has already clarified that immersing solar panels in a "strong acid" environment is an extreme simulation test and does not represent the actual reservoir environment. The use of data should be based on science and not taken out of context to create panic. (Editor: Lin Shu-yuan) 1150606