Tainan plans new pumps after Jende underpass floods for three days

The Zhongshan Road underpass beside Wande Bridge in Tainan flooded for three days as persistent rain affected the city in late August. Officials say the location's low elevation makes drainage difficult when the San-Yeh Creek rises.

Tainan's Water Resources Bureau is seeking NT$38 million to install a submerged pump near the bridge. The project forms part of a proposed NT$17 billion citywide flood-control budget that the city is asking the central government to fund.

Two mobile pumps currently positioned beneath National Freeway 1 can remove a combined 0.6 tonnes of water per second. Water Resources Bureau Director Chiu Chung-chuan said the planned submerged pump would raise capacity to two tonnes per second and improve protection for the low-lying area along Zhongshan Road.

DPP city councillor candidate Kuo Hung-yi said short-duration heavy rainfall is occurring more often and can exceed existing flood-control standards. Jende District Chief Hsu Po-sen said officials had added another mobile pump as Typhoon Saola could bring more moisture. With three mobile pumps operating, capacity would reach 0.9 tonnes per second while the city pursues the larger project.