By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung has begun an NT$353.834 million upgrade of the Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant (中區污水處理廠) in Cijin District (旗津區). The work started Aug. 10 and is scheduled for completion on Dec. 31, 2028, the Kaohsiung City Government said in a Water Resources Bureau statement issued Sept. 15.
The project will replace four perforated fine-screen units, sludge scrapers in 18 primary sedimentation tanks and one sludge dewatering machine. A new seawater electrolysis system is also planned to produce sodium hypochlorite for disinfection, which the bureau said would help maintain stable treatment and compliance with effluent standards.
The coastal plant is exposed to high salinity and humidity, and some of its mechanical, electrical, and control equipment has exceeded its expected service life. Replacement components will use corrosion-resistant SUS316L and duplex stainless steel to extend operating life and reduce maintenance needs, according to the bureau.
At the discharge station, an IE3-rated high-efficiency pump will replace an older unit. The city estimates that the new pump will use 20% less electricity than the equipment it replaces, although that figure remains a projection until the upgraded system enters operation.
The plant began operating in January 1987 and was later expanded in four phases. It has an average design capacity of 750,000 metric tons per day and a maximum capacity of 900,000 metric tons, according to the Water Resources Bureau’s plant profile.
The facility handles wastewater collected from areas south of Zuoying District (左營區) to north of Siaogang District (小港區), including parts of the Love River (愛河) watershed. The wastewater travels through trunk sewers and an undersea conduit to Cijin, where it undergoes primary treatment before discharge through a marine outfall about 3 kilometers offshore.
The bureau said the plant would remain in normal operation during construction. A central monitoring system will be used to track equipment performance, construction conditions and work-site safety.
Location map: Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant, 455 Cijin 2nd Road, Cijin District
