Taiwan Lawmakers Urge Major Pumping Station Upgrade After Flood

Torrential rains on June 25 caused the Erren River levee to breach, leading to the submersion and subsequent shutdown of the Yuejieshi pumping station. The incident submerged the Yuejieshi area in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, transforming it into a "water world" and highlighting critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.

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The water level of the Erren River rose and overflowed the levee (current height 1.8 meters), causing the Yuejieshi pumping station to be submerged and unable to operate normally.

The Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau proposed solutions including constructing new retaining walls and upgrading the pumping station. However, legislators like Lai Ruei-long believe the proposed upgrade, increasing capacity to three 9cms pumps at a cost of 180 million New Taiwan dollars, is insufficient. They advocate for a more robust plan: five 15cms pumps with a budget of 300 million NT dollars, to be funded entirely by the central government.

Analysis indicates that the heavy rainfall, with a maximum hourly rate of 94mm, exceeded the design standard for the local drainage system. The river's water level rose above the existing 1.8-meter levee, inundating the pumping station and preventing it from operating. The low-lying surrounding terrain further exacerbated the flooding, prolonging the inundation.

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The capacity increase to 3 units of 9cms is still significantly insufficient, given the extreme climate's impact, where maximum hourly rainfall exceeding 100mm will become the norm.

Local representatives, including legislators and council members, inspected the site and voiced strong support for the expanded pumping capacity. They urged for the project to be completed before the next rainy season, emphasizing the need for immediate and decisive action to mitigate the risks posed by increasingly extreme weather events in the region.

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We suggest increasing it to 5 units of 15cms, with a budget of 300 million NT dollars, to be implemented in one go.