TEIPEI: The Water Resources Agency is to negotiate with the Taipei Water Department and Taiwan Water Corp today over the department’s selling prices to Taiwater in an effort to lower the state-run water company’s purchasing costs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
“We hope the two parties can reach a consensus over the price as soon as possible. The burden is getting heavier on Taiwater,” Minister of Economic Affairs Lee Chih-kung told reporters after the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee meeting.
Lee’s remarks came after Taiwater said the annual cost of buying water from the department is expected to reach NT$1 billion (US$32.35 million) this year doubling from the NT$500 million to NT$600 million it has cost in the past due to the Shihmen Reservoir’s falling water level.
The Taipei Water Department manages the Feitsui Reservoir’s operations and the supply for Taipei City, while Taiwater manages the water supply for the nation.
Since the Feitsui Reservoir’s water level is always more than 80 percent, Taiwater buys between 200,000 tonnes and 300,000 tonnes of processed water every day from the department to support demand in northern Taiwan, Taiwater said.
For amounts less than 300,000 tonnes, the department sells at NT$5.9 per 1,000 liters. The price is slightly lower at NT$5.2 per 1,000 liters if the purchasing amount is more than 300,000 tonnes, department data show.
The issue emerged as Taiwater has been buying more than 600,000 tonnes of water every day from the department to support its supply for Banciao and Sinjhuang districts after the government on March 1 implemented phase-one water rationing measures on the areas supplied by the Shihmen Reservoir.
Lee said the scale of the purchase greatly adds to Taiwater’s expenses and it wishes the department could lower the price.
