Suspected Source of Water Contamination Affecting Over 150,000 Households in Keelung and Xizhi Identified and Undergoing Urgent Cleanup

Authorities Race to Resolve Oil-like Contamination in Keelung River, Averting Potential Water Supply Disruptions for Thousands.

A significant contamination event impacting the raw water supply from the Badu pumping station of the Keelung River has led to oil-like pollution in the tap water for over 150,000 households in Keelung and Xizhi. After days of investigation, water company and city government officials located a suspected source of the pollution in a ditch on Yuanyuan Road, Lane 102, in Dingnei on the evening of the 2nd. The Keelung City Government established an advance command center in Dingnei on the 3rd to initiate cleanup operations and coordinate a cross-regional joint response. Visible pollutants in the Keelung River currently appear oily and emulsified, with a whitish hue, and have not yet fully dissipated.

Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang visited the suspected pollution site on the evening of the 2nd and held a press conference with Legislator Lin Pei-hsiang and Taiwan Water Corporation to provide updates on the water situation and supply risks. Since the incident began on November 27th, Taiwan Water Corporation has ceased drawing raw water from the Keelung River and has switched to supplying water from Xishi Reservoir. This change has put approximately 35,000 households in higher-elevation areas of Nuannuan and Ren'ai districts at risk of water outages within three days. To mitigate the risk of widespread water stoppages, the water company will commence pollution cleanup operations, and the city government officially established an advance command center on the morning of the 3rd.

Chang Tzu-chung, Director of the First District Office of Taiwan Water Corporation, stated that the pollutants in the Keelung River still exhibit an oily, emulsified, and whitish appearance, and the contamination has not improved, preventing the resumption of water intake. While relevant authorities have inspected the environment along the affected area and collected samples, the source and method of discharge of the pollution are still under investigation.

Taiwan Water Corporation commissioned a professional contractor last night to clean the suspected pollutants from the ditch on Yuanyuan Road, Lane 102. The aim is to complete the cleanup and water quality testing within one and a half days. If the tests are satisfactory, water intake will be resumed as soon as possible to alleviate the supply pressure on Xishi Reservoir.

Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang emphasized that the city government considers this incident a major disaster. An advance command center was established at 10:00 AM today in front of the Fu'an Temple in Dingnei to coordinate pollution cleanup, water management, and supply response. As the main channel of the Keelung River falls under the jurisdiction of the Water Resources Agency, the city government has requested full support from the central government. New Taipei City will also dispatch two directors to assist in tracing the upstream pollution source. Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming has agreed to send experts to support the cleanup and testing efforts and has recommended the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Water Resources Agency to jointly intervene.

Legislator Lin Pei-hsiang stated that this issue is beyond the capacity of the Keelung City Government to handle alone and requires the immediate formation of a "Cross-Ministerial Joint Task Force" comprising the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Environment, the Tenth River Management Office, and Taiwan Water Corporation. This task force should comprehensively assess the pollution situation, water resource allocation, backup systems, and emergency water supply plans, and propose short-term and long-term response measures.

Lin Pei-hsiang further noted the anxiety among Keelung residents regarding potential water supply interruptions and their daily lives. He stressed the need for swift cooperation between central and local governments to address the pollution, ensure water supply, and restore public confidence as quickly as possible. "This is not just a crisis for Keelung, but also a matter for which the central government must take responsibility," he added. He also highlighted that as the incident enters its sixth day, citizens require transparent information, rapid response, and inter-agency integration, rather than finger-pointing.