Keelung River pollution prompts calls for stronger source control and monitoring

The Keelung River has been plagued by a series of pollution incidents, including a significant oil spill last November that impacted the water supply for over 100,000 households in Keelung and New Taipei City's Xizhi district. Despite reviews and improvement plans, contamination events, particularly foam pollution, have recurred multiple times, raising public concern over drinking water safety.

In response, the Keelung City Environmental Protection Bureau announced it has secured funding from the Environmental Protection Administration and the city government, totaling NT$5 million. This investment will be used to enhance river patrols and pollution prevention measures. The plan focuses on strengthening pollution source investigations and controls in two drinking water protection areas, six water intake points, and five pollution hotspots along the Keelung River.

Key initiatives include increasing the frequency and density of river inspections, installing automatic monitoring equipment, and implementing a river pollution imaging surveillance system. These measures aim to improve the speed and effectiveness of responses to pollution incidents. The Environmental Protection Administration's funding also mandates strengthening pollution source investigations within drinking water protection areas, establishing automatic monitoring stations, and conducting regular sampling and laboratory testing.

City council members have emphasized the need for technological solutions to combat illegal dumping, which often occurs late at night. Speaker Tung Tzu-wei urged the city government to reinforce source management by establishing a tiered inspection system based on risk levels. He also called for increased surveillance equipment at pollution hotspots, integrated with smart monitoring technology to deter illegal activities. Furthermore, Tung advocated for a rapid investigation and inter-agency joint defense mechanism to expedite responsibility clarification and prosecution of offenders.

The combined approach of pre-emptive prevention, real-time monitoring, and swift enforcement is seen as crucial to mitigating the impact on the Keelung River and ensuring the safety of the drinking water supply for residents.

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The city government should strengthen source management, establish a tiered system based on risk level to enhance inspections; increase surveillance equipment at pollution hotspots combined with smart monitoring technology to enhance deterrence against illegal acts; and establish a rapid investigation and cross-agency joint defense mechanism to accelerate clarification of responsibilities and prosecution of illegal acts.