To properly treat household wastewater and improve river water quality before more homes are connected to the public sewage system, the EPA has been implementing a variety of water treatment projects, including subsidizing local governments to install facilities for gravel contact oxidation treatment, wastewater interception, artificial wetland and overland flow. To improve local water quality and protect river ecosystems and landscapes, the EPA has worked with local governments on a total of 75 water remediation projects, including the Si-Fang-Lin Water Restoration Project. The projects have enabled the treatment of 444,000 metric tons of polluted water per day and helped transform approximately 64.9 hectares of polluted riverbanks into friendly public spaces.

The EPA explained that the Si-Fang-Lin Water Restoration Project in Taoyuan City installed a gravel contact oxidation facility to treat wastewater. The method relies on the self-purification function of the river and no chemical additives are used. The facility is capable of treating 2,500 metric tons of household wastewater per day and has a pollutant removal rate of at least 70%.

The project has improved the river water quality around the downstream area of Laojie Creek, where the Meiduli Bridge Water Quality Monitoring Station is located, from the moderately-polluted to lightly-polluted level. After the construction of the treatment facility was completed, the land mass above was restored as a park and a croquet court, thus providing nearby residents a better living environment with clean water.

The Li-Ming Canal Water Environment Improvement Plan was a joint project implemented by the EPA and the Taichung City Government. The project included installing water quality monitoring equipment and automated control gates to monitor upstream water quality changes and immediately block polluted water from flowing into the Li-Ming Canal system when necessary. The project also established an environmental education explanatory platform, created more biodiverse habitats and allowed local residents to get closer to the rivers.

The EPA has been dedicated to the improvement of water environments to provide residents cleaner water and make rivers more accessible. With river restoration as the top priority, the EPA worked to gradually improve river water quality from upstream to downstream, restoring at the same time the species richness and biodiversity in rivers. Riverbanks were also landscaped to provide residents inviting recreational spaces with clean water and thriving ecosystems.

Excerpt from Environmental Policy Monthly, 23 (9)

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