Taipei Water Department

Representatives from Matsuyama City, in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, visited the Taipei Water Department today to observe Taipei City's water conservation plans, policies and specific measures, and to learn how Taipei City was able to reduce its daily domestic water consumption from 900,000 metric tons in 2010 to 840,000 metric tons in 2022, with insights on how to formulate Matsuyama's drought and water conservation policies.

According to the Taipei Water Department, due to the topography and climate of Matsuyama City, rainfall is concentrated from spring to summer, and most often in June, and there are often water shortages due to uneven rainfall distribution. Therefore, Matsuyama City appointed Manager Mikako Ochi, and Director Junko Doi of the Water Resources Policy Division of Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, to receive a briefing from the Taipei Water Department and exchange ideas on drought relief strategies.

The Taipei Water Department explained that, in recent years, Taipei City has been doing its utmost to promote the "sponge city” concept and "water conservation" policies. Through the "Water Conservation Housecall Service", "Water Conservation Program for City Agencies and Schools", "Water Conservation Counseling for Major Water Users", and "Water Conservation Promotion and Education for Schoolchildren", and with the adoption of a multi-pronged approach for various water conservation policies, the daily domestic water consumption in Taipei City has dropped from 900,000 metric tons in 2010 to 840,000 metric tons in 2022, saving enough water to fill nearly 9,000 Olympic pools in one year.

The Taipei Water Department (TWD) added that the representatives from Matsuyama City were particularly interested in and praised the following three specific water conservation measures: "The TWD offers customers a discount of up to NT$500 on their next water bill after repairing a leaking toilet"; "After the water price adjustment, the department sets aside NT$137 million annually as a disaster reserve to provide incentives for customers to conserve water in times of drought"; and "The TWD's staff developed and designed a ‘public venue water usage platform’ with red and green indicator lights to manage water consumption and ensure water quality in institutions, agencies, and schools, which is open to public scrutiny. " Both sides expressed interest in continued exchanges and experience sharing in the future, engaging in joint efforts to combat drought and conserve water.