Taipei City Government

The Taipei City Government held the 2025 Taipei City Government Public Works Excellence Awards and Master Craftsman Awards Ceremony on the afternoon of September 18 at CPC Corporation’s Guoguang Conference Hall. The Sewerage Systems Office (SSO) of the Public Works Department won five major awards, recognizing the dedication and achievements of its team. While this recognition is an honor, it also brings greater responsibility. The SSO will continue to advance core infrastructure projects, including sewer connection expansion and pipeline inspection and rehabilitation, to further enhance the quality of sewerage public works and ensure sustainable and stable services. These efforts support the city’s policy goals of achieving full self-sufficiency in wastewater treatment by 2030 and reaching a 90% sewer connection rate by 2032, helping to create a more sustainable environment and improve quality of life for Taipei residents.

SSO Director Huang Chun stated that the five award-winning projects this year include the 2024 West District Sewer Relocation and Back Alley Beautification Project, the 2024 Integrated Sewer Network, Branch Lines, and Household Drainage Equipment Design-Build Project, the Design-Build Project for Expanding Sewer Connections in Low-Connection Areas and Vacuum Truck-Served Households (Southeast District), the 2024 Sewer Inspection, Rehabilitation, and Life Extension Project (Lot 2) , and the 2022–2025 West District Branch Sewer Inspection, Rehabilitation, and Life Extension Project. These projects represent the core responsibilities of the SSO. The awards highlight the Office’s achievements in sewer network construction, household connections, community wastewater treatment, alleyway beautification, and pipeline inspection and rehabilitation. Through close collaboration among designers, supervisors, and contractors, the projects have been delivered on schedule and to a high standard, demonstrating strong technical capabilities and producing substantial results.

Huang further noted that sewerage systems are essential infrastructure and a key indicator of urban modernization. Taipei has more than five decades of experience in sewer system development. As of the end of August 2026, the city’s sewer connection rate has reached 83.10%, with a total pipeline length of approximately 2,722 kilometers, making Taipei one of the leading cities nationwide in sewer connections, wastewater treatment, and service quality. For areas where sewer service connections remain difficult, the SSO and its contractors have worked together to engage extensively with residents, investing time and effort to overcome various challenges and ensure the completion of sewer connections.

Chief Engineer Liao Chun-hao explained that in some mountainous areas, steep terrain prevents conventional sewer pipelines from reaching certain communities. To address wastewater treatment needs in such areas, the SSO spent two years coordinating with residents in the Baishihu area of Neihu District, securing community consensus and land use approvals. The project was implemented by the SSO in collaboration with the Southeast District design-build team for expanding sewer connections in low-connection areas. By incorporating hydropower and solar energy systems to generate green electricity and adopting a public-private partnership model for operation and maintenance, Taipei’s first community-based wastewater treatment facility was completed. The facility has significantly improved the environment and stream water quality in hillside communities and has received widespread recognition.

Liao also pointed out that for sewer pipelines already in operation, the SSO adopts trenchless spiral wound lining and expanded lining technologies in rehabilitation projects to minimize disruptions to daily life and traffic. These methods reduce the need for workers to enter pipelines, thereby significantly lowering occupational safety risks. Once rehabilitated, pipelines can remain in service for more than 30 years. The SSO continues to advance sewer infrastructure development while maintaining strict standards for project progress, safety, and quality, ensuring that all projects are completed on time, to specification, and with zero occupational accidents.

The SSO emphasized that sewerage infrastructure improves public health and environmental sanitation, helps prevent pollution of rivers and the environment, enhances water quality and waterfront recreational spaces, and supports the sustainable use of water resources. Moving forward, the SSO will continue working with the public to build Taipei into a sustainable, livable, and healthy global city.