Bilis and Water Supplies

Tropical Storm Bilis may have pounded Taiwan, although we didn't notice as we drove up the East Coast on last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Just some rain, and not very serious rain at that. As always, it was the central mountain regions that suffered from landslides and mudflows.... and the usual problems with hoarding vegetables as prices increased. Fortunately RT Mart and Carrefour have launched a price war that will keep prices down.

Bilis did bring one blessing. In recent years there has been a series of water shortages in Taipei. This year Bilis appears to have brought enough rain to ensure ample water supplies for the remainder of the year.

Torrential rain brought by Tropical Storm Bilis has filled the nation's reservoirs, securing water supplies for the rest of the year, according to the Economics Ministry's Water Resources Agency. Agency Deputy Director-General Wu Yueh-hsi (吳約西) said that the Shihmen and Paoshan reservoirs in the north of the country were at 85 percent of capacity, while reservoirs in central and southern regions were at up to 90 percent of capacity.

Taiwan's water supply depends on being able to fill many of the nation's reservoirs two to three times annually. Shihmen supplies water to Taipei, while Paoshan brings life to Hsinchu (it's right up above the science park and makes an fine afternoon outing.) The pic above I snapped at Paoshan a couple of years ago...

[Taiwan]