Hsinchu County Launches Fixed Water Quality Monitoring System as Touqian River Ranks Among Taiwan’s Cleanest

uly, Hsinchu County, Taiwan — Touqian River, a major source of domestic water for the Hsinchu area, has been confirmed as one of Taiwan’s cleanest rivers. According to the latest central government data, the river’s average River Pollution Index (RPI) is 1.09, placing it at the second cleanest among 26 major rivers under central administration nationwide. All monitoring results comply with Taiwan’s drinking water quality standards.

Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-Ke emphasized that residents can rest assured about the safety of the county’s river water, thanks to continued joint monitoring efforts by the county government and the central Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).

Environmental Protection Bureau Director Chu Chen-Chun explained that the bureau currently operates 10 mobile water quality sensors, which are strategically deployed at key river sections or industrial discharge outlets, such as those along the Wuhua Industrial Park and Luliaokeng Creek. These mobile devices provide 24-hour continuous monitoring, allowing environmental personnel to check real-time conditions and respond immediately if anomalies are detected.

To further enhance monitoring, the county launched a Fixed River Water Quality Automatic Monitoring System this year. Five fixed monitoring stations have been installed at key points in the Touqian River, Fengshan River, and Xinfeng River basins — including Xinglong Bridge, Luliaokeng Creek Railway Bridge, Bao-Shi Bridge, Nanhua Bridge, and Zhenxing Bridge. The system is currently in the testing phase and is expected to be fully operational by mid-July.

Once launched, the system will leverage a cloud-based platform for remote, real-time tracking of water quality. A dedicated online portal will also allow the public to access monitoring data from each site.

The monitoring system uses a modular design, separating the data logger from the water quality analyzer. It measures pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, and suspended solids. Additional parameters can be added as needed. Data is transmitted via 4G wireless networks to the cloud. If communication is interrupted, the device stores data locally and uploads it automatically once the connection is restored, ensuring complete and reliable records for intelligent monitoring.

The bureau noted that the central EPA conducts monthly manual sampling at eight fixed monitoring points along the Touqian River basin, including Youluo Creek and Shangping Creek. Key sites include Touqian River Bridge, Zhongzheng Bridge, Zhulin Bridge, Zhudong Bridge, Baoshan Reservoir, Neiwan Suspension Bridge, Ruichang Bridge, and the Nanya intake point. Monitoring results are publicly available on Taiwan’s National Water Quality Monitoring Information Platform.

Meanwhile, Taiwan Water Corporation ensures strict quality control at all water treatment plants, conducting daily tests on source and treated water. EPA inspection teams and local environmental bureaus also carry out both regular and random sampling. To date, Hsinchu’s tap water maintains a 100% compliance rate, fully meeting national drinking water standards.