Taipei Water Department

The water supplied by TWD is definitely safe for drinking. The quality of TWD’s water supply is as good (if not better) than that in advanced countries. To ensure high standards of water quality at points of use, TWD regularly takes samples of tap water from users’ premises and analyzes them at its laboratory. The lab is well equipped with sophisticated instruments and staffed with professionals, and is the first of its kind in Taiwan to be certified by the R.O.C. Environmental Protection Agency as a qualified water examination laboratory.
 　　TWD established its Automatic Water Quality Monitoring System in 1985 along with the initiation of the Safe Drinking Water Program. The system has enabled TWD to monitor the water quality in the raw water intakes, in the treatment process at its purification plant, and in the distribution system. Consequently, it ensures the quality of water supply and enhances TWD’s credibility.
 　　TWD also takes water samples from all water sources, the Feitsui Reservoir, treatment plants and consumers’ premises for analysis at our well-equipped laboratory. All test data have proved that the water quality in Taipei is very good.
 　　In June 1999, with the help of Taipei Mass Transit Corporation, the Department place dozens of tap water drinking fountains at 39 mass transit stations in operation, as well as the first Water Quality Instant Monitoring Screen in R.O.C. at Taipei Main Station. The Department plans to make tap water potable at all public places, and wishes all residents to get used to drinking water directly from the tap.
 If you live in the Taipei Metropolis and are concerned about your tap water, please feel free to call us. Our telephone number is 8733-5678 and we will answer your questions on the phone or make a field survey and examine the water quality for you. The service is free of charge.
 To ensure the potable quality of its water supply to customers, the Taipei Water Department has set up laboratories at its Water Quality Center to perform regular testing on quality of samples taken from raw water sources, various units in the filtration process, and specific points in the distribution pipe network (such as booster stations, service reservoirs, schools, public places, metro stations, and ordinary households) and to conduct trend analyses on water quality readings.
 　　TWD inaugurated its computerized water quality monitoring system in July 1983 to ensure healthful drinking and the stability of its water quality. The focus in the early stages was on raw water turbidity, the pH value of coagulated water, turbidity and residual chlorine of water output, as well as residual chlorine of water at over 20 specific points in Taipei City. All treatment plants were required to transmit water quality readings (including those obtained at the plants and others acquired at remote monitoring stations) to this Center via exclusive digital lines for overall monitoring and control. Thanks to constant R&D and improvement efforts by TWD’s professional staff, the system since then has witnessed successive upgrades and expansions to meet increasing requirements in different stages. Currently, the Center monitors readings of more than 520 water quality items across TWD’s service area. Chemical feeding operation has also reached a high degree of automation. In short, the system has provided TWD with comprehensive, automatic monitoring and control of water quality.

The tap water drinking fountain at a MRT station of Taipei Main Station.
 

The first real time Water Quality Monitoring Screen in ROC at Taipei Main Station.
 

The tap water drinking fountain at Zongshiao Elementary School.