Rains bring 19 million cubic meters of water to Taiwan’s reservoirs

Taipei, April 1 (CNA) A weather front brought 19.08 million cubic meters of precipitation to reservoirs around Taiwan over the past three days, with the rain mainly falling in northern Taiwan, according to statistics released Monday by the Water Resources Administration (WRA).

From 7 am March 29 to 7 am April 1, with 3.9 million cubic meters, according to the WRA data.

As of Monday morning, Xinshan Reservoir was at 92.7 percent of capacity, while Feitsui, Shimen, and Second Baoshan reservoirs were at 75.4 percent, 28.3 percent, and 36.9 percent of capacity, respectively.

In central Taiwan, Yeonghoshan Reservoir, Mingten Reservoir, Liyutan Reservoir, Te-chi Reservoir, Hu-shan Reservoir, Sun-Moon-Lake Reservoir, and Wushe Reservoir received a cumulative total of 8.6 million cubic meters during the three-day period, with Te-chi collecting the most at 2.8 million cubic meters.

As of Monday morning, Liyutan, Te-chi and Sun-Moon-Lake reservoirs were at 33.6 percent, 55.0 percent, and 73.5 percent of capacity, respectively.

The rainfall also helped fill Wu-shan-tou, Tsengwen, and Nanhwa reservoirs in southern Taiwan with a total of 500,000 cubic meters of rainwater, and the reservoirs were at 79.1 percent, 43.3 percent and 37.5 percent of capacity, respectively, the data showed .

A WRA official said that reservoirs across Taiwan are currently at 30-70 percent of total capacity.

While the recent rainfall helped to provide farmers with the irrigation water needed to grow crops, water levels at reservoirs in Taiwan continue falling due to domestic and industrial water demand, the official indicated.

The recent rainfall also provided a clear signal that Taiwan is near the end of dry season which is followed by flood season, the official said, adding that the CWA will keep a close watch on water usage and make preparations for flood period simultaneously.

The official also said that the wave of precipitation and possible showers forecast for Taiwan during the four-day Tomb Sweeping Festival long weekend which starts on Thursday could help the nation cope better with the effects of the dry season.