TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The water levels of Zengwen Reservoir, the largest in Taiwan, have dropped to 19% and are said to be able to supply water for a mere 20 days.

As of 9 a.m. on Monday (March 6), the capacity of Zengwen Reservoir which provides water supply to Chiayi and Tainan has plummeted to 19%, according to a Water Resources Agency (WRA) website monitoring the real-time status of the country’s reservoirs.

However, the WRA rebutted reports about the estimated three-week period it can last, saying such reports are misleading as they did not factor in the status of Wusanto Reservoir, which sits near Zengwen Reservoir and the supply of which should be taken into account, per TVBS.

A prolonged drought has contributed to the dangerously low levels of the reservoir. The amount of rainfall in the south hit a 30-year-low in 2022, and the region has seen no precipitation surpassing 200 millimeters for more than 570 days, said the WRA.

Reduced water pressure has been implemented for Tainan and Chiayi, with water restrictions to kick in in Kaohsiung starting Wednesday (March 8) as part of an emergency response. Well drilling and halted irrigation, among other measures, are being taken to avoid a red water alert, meaning water rationing, for Tainan and Kaohsiung by April, per WRA.

The public is urged to save water as rain is not expected for the coming weeks. Reservoirs that have plummeted to less than 25% in storage levels also include Xinshan Reservoir in Keelung, Shigang Dam in Taichung, Wushe Reservoir in Nantou, and Baihe Reservoir in Tainan.