With Torrential Rain Becoming Routine, Taichung Councillor Calls for Full Drainage Review

Short bursts of torrential rain are becoming routine in Taichung, and councillor Chen Cheng-hsien says the city’s drainage system must be reconsidered before flooding occurs.

Chen said several areas flood whenever heavy rain arrives. In densely populated neighborhoods around Ma-yuan-tou Creek, Meichuan and Liuchuan, a sudden surge could overflow waterways and inundate nearby communities.

He argued that extreme weather can no longer be treated as an unusual explanation for flooding if the same rainfall pattern is becoming normal. The drainage network, he said, must be improved at its foundations, with flood prevention handled before water reaches homes and streets.

Water Resources Bureau Director Fan Shih-yi said Taichung’s stormwater sewers have been under continuous review since 2019, with higher protection standards. Much of the current flooding occurs in urban areas, he said, where the bureau will work with the Construction Bureau to enlarge some roadside ditches and add inlets.

Fan said monitoring showed that some stormwater sewers were not full even as water began accumulating on roads. He also said Ma-yuan-tou Creek’s water level appeared relatively high, while the Third River Management Office of the Water Resources Agency has built a diversion channel in Tanzi. The city and national water authorities are observing the diversion system and the creek.

Flooding does not always result from rainfall alone, Fan added. Changes to the surface, construction, and development can alter local terrain and drainage gradients, creating flooding in particular spots.