TAICHUNG, Taiwan — A valve leak in Taichung City’s Tanzi District early Thursday triggered an emergency water cutoff affecting 10 districts and over 158,000 households. The outage, which began at 7 a.m. today, is expected to last until 12 noon tomorrow as Taichung Water Company races to complete urgent repairs.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen criticized the incident in a press interview, calling the lack of prior warning “very serious” and unacceptable. “This is not the first time we’ve experienced a sudden water disruption,” Lu stated, referencing a similar incident just two weeks ago that impacted more than 300,000 households due to a problem at Liyu Lake.
Speaking after a meeting with Yamagata Prefecture Governor Yoshimura Mieko of Japan, Mayor Lu stressed that national resilience must go beyond military preparedness. “A resilient country ensures a stable and secure supply of water, electricity, and essential resources,” she said. “Without notice, citizens were left scrambling. We had to set up emergency water stations to meet their basic needs.”
The mayor also expressed particular concern for vulnerable populations, especially elderly residents living alone. She has directed district offices to conduct welfare checks and ensure temporary water needs are met.
According to city officials, some homes may still have limited water through rooftop tanks, but many are already running dry. The Taichung Water Company has apologized and promised to accelerate repair efforts to restore supply as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, when asked about President Lai Ching-te’s upcoming diplomatic trip to Central and South America with transit through the United States, Mayor Lu said that although they differ on some political issues, she supports any efforts made by the president to represent the country abroad. “As the head of state, he deserves encouragement and backing in his diplomatic work,” she said.
The city government continues to monitor the situation closely and urges affected residents to stay updated through official channels.
