Not a post about the election, thank god: reservoirs

As I was contemplating another South Korea success vis-a-vis Taiwan -- South Korea inward FDI fell for the third straight year, whereas Taiwan's hit record levels last year (but don't worry, we can solve all our economic ills by imitating the South Korea economy) --and this one too, where S Korea's financial industry is well behind our financial industry -- my jaundiced, pro-Taiwan eye, always interested in water policy here, fell on this article on Taiwan's attempt to deal with water quality in its reservoirs....

...Taiwan plans to spend US$6 million on cleaning up its reservoirs:

The Environmental Protection Agency under the Executive Yuan will allocate NT$200 million (US$6.16 million) over the next four years for a eutrophication control project to improve the water quality at four reservoirs around Taiwan.

EPA officials said the project to clean up the Shimen, Feitsui, Tsengweng and Kinmen reservoirs will improve the quality of water supply for 10 million residents.

The project is being launched in line with a Water Resource Agency plan to conserve reservoir catchment areas.

The officials said that although the extent of eutrophication at Taiwan's three largest reservoirs has not reached the worst possible levels, the situation is not ideal. They noted that as the reservoirs supply water to almost half of Taiwan's population, the decision was made to deal with the problem comprehensively.

The problem is eutrophication, which destroys water quality as nutrients in the lake lead to algae blooms:

Eutrophication is a degradation process originating from the introduction of nutrients from agricultural run-off and untreated industrial and urban discharges. Impairment of water quality due to eutrophication can lead to health-related problems.

...

For example, Wei continued, the main causes of eutrophication at the Feitsui reservoir are run-off from fertilizers used upstream and bait discarded by people fishing in the reservoir.

This 2005 paper warns that the threat to the Feitsui Reservoir will require a 55% reduction in run-off:

Several NPS [non-point source] reduction schemes had been proposed for the watershed and were tested using this model to develop allocation strategies. The purpose of this study is to estimate the TP [total phosphorus] yield loading from the entire watershed to Fei-Tsui Reservoir such that an appropriate NPS pollution control strategy can be developed for managing the Reservoir. Results of this study show that a TP reduction of over 55% is necessary in order to prevent the onset of eutrophication in the Reservoir.

Meawhile the article shows that Taiwan's water management policies are sometimes both imaginative and environmentally sound:

He said that in addition to the Water Resource Agency and the Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration cooperating to eliminate the sources of eutrophication at the reservoir, the EPA will work with communities near the reservoir to build an artificial marsh system as well as a buffer zone between agricultural fields and water systems that flow into the reservoir.

As for the eutrophication problem at the Kinmen reservoir, Wei said the EPA plans to use a method that has proven successful at the Hsinshan reservoir in Keelung City, in which the EPA will introduce oysters and other bivalves in areas around the reservoir to feed on microalgae -- the main culprit behind eutrophication at the reservoir.

According to this Taipei Times article from last year, water quality is worst in a couple of Kaohsiung reservoirs:

The degree of pollution is measured using the Carlson Trophic State Index (CTSI), which assesses the eutrophication of a lake. Eutrophication occurs when nutrient levels in water increase too much, causing excess algal growth.

The enrichment of nutrients in an ecosystem and the cloudiness of the lake resulting from micro-biomass are all measured, Lu said.

Water transparency, total phosphorus levels, and chlorophyll a levels -- which indicate the density of phytoplankton -- also contribute to the index, he said.

CTSI is scaled from 0 to 110, with each 10 units indicating a doubling of algal biomass.

The Feng Shan Reservoir has a CTSI of over 70, the EPA said.

The Cheng Ching Hu Reservoir in Kaohsiung County's Niaosong Township (鳥松) is suffering similar pollution levels.

However the reservoir has seen gradual improvements over the years, with its CTSI dropping from a historic peak of 66 to 50 this June, Lu said.

"But citizens need not worry, since the water still needs to go through a water treatment plant before it runs into the taps at home," he said.

Shihmen Reservoir, Wu She Reservoir, Te Chi Reservoir and the Sun Moon Lake reservoir are among the country's cleanest reservoirs, the EPA said.

Twelve reservoirs received neutral scores, including Feitsui Reservoir, which provides drinking water to Taipei City.

One thing I learned in Kenya was to appreciate the importance of water and water policy....

[Taiwan]