The Tamsui water outage disrupted tens of thousands of households last week, prompting city officials to announce compensation measures.
The disruption occurred on Thursday when contractors working on the Danbei Road project accidentally burst a water pipe. Consequently, about 62,000 homes in Tamsui District went without water for four days. Workers fully restored supply early yesterday morning.
In response, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi said the city coordinated with the contractor to compensate residents affected by the Tamsui water outage. Therefore, residents are asked to submit proof of expenses for purchasing water or repairing idle water tower motors. Applications can be submitted online or at the Tamsui District Office until next Wednesday.
Additionally, Taiwan Water Corporation will reduce bills proportionally based on the number of days households lacked water. Moreover, the utility is reviewing options to install a backup pipeline, since Tamsui currently relies on only two main water lines.
Mayor Hou also proposed constructing a new reservoir with at least 50,000-tonne capacity to supplement the existing 35,000-tonne reservoir. He stressed that the current storage is clearly insufficient for the district’s growing demand.
The Tamsui water outage revealed weaknesses in local infrastructure amid ongoing urban development. For instance, the Danbei Road project, aimed at easing chronic traffic along the Tamsui River, spans 5.45 kilometers and features a four-lane elevated and ground-level expressway. While the project improves transportation, it caused an unintended impact on water supply.
Furthermore, officials emphasized the need for stronger planning and redundancy in public utilities. Experts noted that urban projects must include risk assessments to prevent service disruptions.
Going forward, authorities plan to review pipelines and water storage to ensure reliability. The Tamsui water outage may accelerate infrastructure improvements and guide other city projects.
Finally, Mayor Hou urged residents to submit claims promptly. He added that lessons from this outage will improve infrastructure planning. Overall, the incident highlights the importance of coordinating construction projects with essential services to protect communities.
