By KHT Staff. Image provided by the Executive Yuan.
KAOHSIUNG — A new water collection project on the Laonong River (荖濃溪) was inaugurated Oct. 17, adding capacity to supply 100,000 tonnes of water a day to southern Taiwan’s households and industries.
The NT$2.3 billion Liling project (里嶺伏流水工程) includes riverbed water collection facilities and a water pipeline bridge approximately 945 meters long, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It brings the combined riverbed water supply capacity in the Gaoping River system (高屏溪水系) to 900,000 tonnes a day. That is a capacity figure, rather than a statement that this amount is supplied every day.
The system collects water that flows through sand and gravel beneath the riverbed. This provides a relatively stable, naturally filtered source when surface water becomes muddy after heavy rain, although officials say withdrawals still need to be adjusted to river conditions.
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰), who attended the inauguration, said the additional source would help address two recurring challenges: high turbidity during the wet season and less reliable river flows during dry periods. He also called for long-term monitoring of water quality and geological conditions.
The project forms part of a broader effort to diversify southern Taiwan’s water supplies as industrial demand grows. Other measures include reservoir connections and pipelines that allow water to be transferred between Tainan and Kaohsiung.
According to the Executive Yuan, the expanded riverbed collection capacity could provide the equivalent of about half of Kaohsiung’s daily water supply. Officials cited growing demand from industrial areas in Nanzih (楠梓), Ciaotou (橋頭), and Lujhu (路竹) as one of the reasons for strengthening the regional network.
