TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Sewage management has become yet another aspect of Taiwan’s bid to better manage the country’s growingly popular campsites.

The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Wednesday (March 22) announced campsites will be required to put in place sewage disposal facilities in an amendment to a regulation governing water pollution. The measure will take effect July 1, 2024.

All wastewater produced at camping sites must be collected and handled properly. Violators risk a fine of up to NT$3 million (US$98,800) and suspension of operations, warned Yen Hsu-ming (顏旭明), an EPA official.

This is part of the government’s effort to rein in the exploding number of businesses riding the wave of increased enthusiasm for outdoor recreation. Earlier this year, the authorities vowed a clampdown after it emerged that up to 90% of the 1,790 campsites in Taiwan are operating illegally.

Businesses were found to have breached zoning, forestry, agricultural development, or safety regulations, putting both the public and the environment at risk. Illegal sites were centered in Nantou, Hsinchu, and Miaoli.