In order to properly treat wastewater, improve the quality of citizens’ living environment, and stabilize water supply for industrial processes, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che has actively promoted the construction of water recycling plants. Tainan City is currently promoting the construction of three reclaimed water plants in Yongkang, Anping and Rende Districts, leading the country in providing water needed in advanced manufacturing processes of the high-tech industry. Mayor Huang Wei-che presided over the groundbreaking ceremony of the "Tainan City Rende Reclaimed Water Plant New Construction Turnkey Project" today (16) and offered prayers for the smooth and successful completion of the project.
Mayor Huang pointed out that the demand for industrial-use water in the Southern Taiwan Science Park is gradually growing after many semiconductor fabs and high tech plants moved in, but with limited water resources, the question of how to increase the utilization rate of water resources while taking into account the sustainable development of the environment has never been a more pressing issue. Although there are many reservoirs in Tainan, it is of limited use when there is no water available. During dry season, people often think of digging wells, but actually the water used every day can be effectively recycled and reused. Therefore, the city government has promoted the construction of three reclaimed water plants, located in Yongkang District, Anping District, and Rende District, respectively. In the case of Rende Reclaimed Water Plant, the city government is not only constructing a water recycling facility, but also combining the water-use plan with water rights exchange, which not only saves the cost of building the original pipeline, reduces the length of water transport, and shortens the impact on traffic during the construction of the plant, while also encouraging the public to conserve and reuse water resources. On the one hand, it ensures a more sustainable environment, and on the other hand, it can reduce the use of tap water, allowing for more efficient water use, and reducing the dilemma of water shortages in the city. It is hoped that in the future, the public can join hands with the city government to maximize the efficiency of water use, and achieve the effect of both economic development and environmental protection. We highly anticipate the day when the water recycling plant will be put into operation, so that Tainan can become an environmentally friendly city.
Vice Minister Chen Tsun-Yen of the Ministry of the Interior noted that many members of the Tainan City Council and citizens have come today, demonstrating the importance of recycled water to the local community, and that Tainan needs to provide sufficient water, electricity, and manpower for enterprises in order to develop the local economy. At the same time, we need to ensure that the people's water needs are secure, which is actually very difficult. The reclaimed water plant takes care of both development and people's livelihood solutions; the recycled water plant is a compelling solution that takes into account both local development and people's livelihood. Looking back on the past few years, the exacerbating problem of water shortages brought about by climate change has further revealed the importance of water recycling. Therefore, the central government fully supports the development of reclaimed water in Tainan, which also plays a very pivotal part in Taiwan's resilience and serves as a very important resource for national defense. Chen thanked the city administration for their efforts in the project and hoped that the Rende Reclaimed Water Plant will be completed on time and with excellent construction quality.
According to the Water Resources Bureau (WRB), the total cost of the new turnkey project of the Tainan City Rende Reclaimed Water Plant is NT$981 million, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, after which it will be able to provide 8,000 tons of reclaimed water supply per day after entering operation. Rende Reclaimed Water Plant is the first reclaimed water plant in Taiwan to provide reclaimed water resources in the form of water exchange, adopting the concept of carbon trading to create a "water-for-water" model. Based on the principle of "using a drop of water at least twice", the use of reclaimed water will be expanded in the future and will no longer be limited to the past practice of being restricted to specific areas. This innovative model will mark a new era of reclaimed water promotion and use.
In order to reduce the impact of the development on the environment, the city government has been actively engaged in water exchange for the Rende Reclaimed Water Plant since 2017. In October 2021, after four years of concerted effort, the city government facilitated the water exchange partnership between Chi Mei Corporation and TSMC. The WRB expressed its appreciation to the two companies for fulfilling their corporate social responsibility and making their best efforts to facilitate the first instance of water exchange for reclaimed water in Taiwan. On this day, the WRB expressed special thanks to Tainan City Council members Yang Chung-Cheng, Du Su-Yin, Wu Yu-Huan, Hsu You-Jen, Kuo Hung-Yi, Cheng Chia-Hsin; Chen Tsung-Yen, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior; Yu Wang-Sheng, the Deputy Director of the Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior; Tseng Shu-Juan, Director General of the Sewage System Office, Construction and Planning Agency, Ministry of the Interior; Huang Hung-Pu, Deputy Director General of the Water Resources Bureau, the Ministry of Economic Affairs; Cheng Hsiu-Lung, Deputy Director of the Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration; Kao Bo-Yang, Director of the Government Ethics Office, Tainan City Government; Huang Su-Mei, District Chief of Rende District Office; Chen Shih-Hsien, the Vice President of Chi Mei Corporation; Su Ching-Huang, Factory Manager, TSMC, as well as all guests present at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Rende Water Recycling Plant.
The WRB explained that the Rende Reclaimed Water Plant adopts a landscaped green building design that takes into account both development and environmental impact reduction, with a landscaped plaza green belt linked to the adjacent forests to form a green area, and features additional display space and digital projection mapping models to provide environmental education explanations. The Plant will also be built to accessibility-friendly specifications that offers a friendly visitation route, and form an alliance for environmental education with the nearby Ten Drum Culture Village and Chi Mei Museum . In addition to being an important water treatment site, Rende Water Recycling Plant will provide a new leisure spot for people to learn and enjoy.