Taiwan employs smart solutions to fight floods, save water

2021/03/19

Taiwan is rolling out the latest information and communication technology to fight floods and save water, spotlighting the country’s commitment to boosting efficient use of critical resources and sustainable development.
 
“There is growing urgency to manage water wisely, as climate change is causing more droughts and instances of severe flooding than ever before,” said Wang Yi-fung, deputy director-general of the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Water Resources Agency.
 
Under the WRA’s guidance, 12 cities and counties have established smart flood-monitoring networks utilizing smart sensors to detect water levels.
 
“Data is transmitted from sensors to my cell phone in real-time,” said Wu Chia-rong, a technician involved in the building of the network in southern Taiwan’s Chiayi County. “The rapid, highly accurate information allows us to limit damage from heavy rainfall because we can take decisive action much sooner than in the past.”

The WRA also has installed smart monitors in roughly 400 wells around Taiwan used by major industrial consumers. Previously factories could pump unlimited quantities of groundwater, using resources faster than they could be replenished, but with the new devices, authorities can swiftly respond to shortages by alternating well access to slow down usage.
 
Municipal water networks are going smarter as well, with Taipei City leading the way by installing sensors throughout its vast water supply system. Designed to continuously transmit changes in flow, pressure and quality, devices ensure officials can act quickly on any issues that arise.
 
Smart water meters are likewise being installed citywide. Traditionally workers checked on-site meters every two months, but the new devices can record the amount of water used and send the data to authorities wirelessly every day, helping save manpower while providing earlier warnings about leaks.

In its push for smart water management, the government is additionally tapping the corporate sector. One standout example involves Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest pure-play foundry.

Among the company’s contributions to the WRA are designs for a solar energy-powered sluice gate for irrigation canals. It is estimated this Internet of Things solution, if adopted across all 18,000 hectares of farmland covered by the project, would save 95 million tons of water annually, enough to satisfy the demand of Tainan’s 1.8 million residents for three months.
“Enterprises are excellent at designing and manufacturing high-quality ICT products, but they don’t always know where they are most needed,” said Pi Lan-chieh, a WRA engineer. “That’s why cooperation between the government and corporate entities strikes the perfect balance; the former excels at identifying target areas for improvement while the latter shine at devising innovative solutions.”
 
“IoT solutions are increasingly economically and technologically viable, a trend that has become clearer over the past two years with the rollout of low-cost, energy-efficient sensors that can transmit signals over long distances,” Pi added. With such innovations, Taiwan is poised to become a regional leader in the fight against climate change.


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)