Changhua electroplating wastewater case exposes lack of public oversight by irrigation associations
In recent years, the Council of Agriculture's (COA) scoring of the "water quality monitoring" work of all fifteen irrigation associations across Taiwan has been almost perfect. On December 4 last year, an investigative report by the Control Yuan pointed out that, according to the COA's assessment results, "this implies that the irrigation associations perform water quality monitoring well; however, farmland in the country is repeatedly contaminated, so the COA's design for evaluating the water quality monitoring work of each irrigation office truly needs to be reconsidered."
On December 10 last year, the Changhua District Prosecutors Office uncovered ten electroplating businesses illegally burying hidden pipes and discharging wastewater containing heavy metals into irrigation canals. These ten businesses were Xianghe Electroplating, Yisong, Su Zhenhui Industry, Xinquanfa Electroplating, Zhengjinda Hardware Factory, Te Ai Industry, and Shanwang Industry in Changhua City, as well as Qiyao Metal, Qinglunchang and Xiangtong Industry in Hemei Township.
The ten electroplating businesses secretly discharging wastewater are located in Changhua's Wu River irrigation area, mainly served by the East-West Second Canal and East-West Third Canal. Yet according to the "Irrigation Association Irrigation Water Quality Monitoring Network," the water quality of the East-West Second and Third Canals is rated "excellent."
Why is it that the irrigation associations' tests always say there is no problem, yet incidents of industrial wastewater contaminating farmland keep occurring?
