TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Amid the continued lack of rainfall in many areas around Taiwan, the 10 biggest consumers of water at the Hsinchu Science Park (HSP) are cutting water usage by 5%, an official said on Monday (March 6).

While the supply of water to the HSP is better than it has been compared to the average level over the past five years, CNA cited Wang Yung-chuang (王永壯), director-general of the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau as saying, the lack of rainfall has led the 10 companies to cut back their water usage by 5% since March 1.

Wang said companies at HSP use between 140,000 to 150,000 cubic meters of water a day. That number jumps to 190,000 cubic meters if the Zhunan, Longtan, and Yilan campuses are also added.

The Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan supplies 150,000 cubic meters of water to Hsinchu daily, Wang said, while a pipeline connecting the reservoir to the Second Baoshan Reservoir in Hsinchu is slated to be finished in 2026. The Shihmen Reservoir is currently at 68.64% capacity, while the Second Baoshan Reservoir stands at 63.99% capacity, according to Water Resources Agency data.

Meanwhile, the water situation in the south of the country is much more of a concern. Taiwan uses a four-level water alert system, with green being the lowest level, followed by yellow, orange, and then red.

Tainan was placed on orange alert on March 1, which means in addition to reduced water pressure, some residential, commercial, and industrial users in certain areas will see a reduction in the amount of water supplied. Chiayi was placed on a yellow alert on March 1, which means reduced water pressure for users, while Kaohsiung is set to be placed on a yellow alert on March 8.

Authorities are calling on the public to conserve water as significant rainfall is not expected for the coming weeks.