Taipei City Government

On May 12, Taipei Water Department (TWD) announced that the tunnel to house the future raw water pipeline between Feitsui Reservoir and Taipei City have been completed after four years of construction.

Since work began on July 15 in 2019, the Feitsui Reservoir Raw Water Pipeline Project is aimed at bringing clean water directly from the reservoir to the city without risking the chance of high turgidity levels along Xindian River. This is extremely important for Taipei City, as it safeguards residents’ access to to clean tap water during and after typhoon.

Mayor Chiang Wan-an attended the tunnel penetration ceremony with dignitaries including Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan and Deputy Mayor of New Taipei City Chu Tih-ju, showing his high regards for the key infrastructure project which will have a significant impact on the livelihood of Taipei’s residents. He also expressed his gratitude to the construction team for toiling long hours in the tunnel, helping residents of Greater Taipei Area secure a stable source of clean tap water.

According to TWD, the construction project is a collaboration among authorities including the Executive Yuan, Water Resources Agency, Taipei City Government and New Taipei City Government. Due to climate change, high turgidity has become a commonplace occurrence in upstream areas in the aftermath of typhoon and torrential rain. In 2015, Typhoon Soudelor caused massive landslides along Nanshi River, effectively shutting off clean water supply to greater Taipei for an extended period due to extremely turgid water.

The new pipeline is an answer to preventing reoccurrence of such crisis in the future. Consisting of a tunnel spanning 2.8 kilometers, a new pipeline measuring 4.5 meters in diameter will be installed to supply the residents of Greater Taipei with 2.7 million tons of clean raw water every day. The pipeline will begin operations by June 2024. The facility will also be integrated into the central government’s water supply masterplan, helping to provide water to those living in areas such as Shulin, Yingge, and Sanxia districts in the future.