Drinking water quality directly affectsour health. To ensure the safety of public drinking water, the Environmental Protection Bureau of Taichung City Government regularly samples and tests the quality of tap water and water sources every month. Moreover, the EPB also checks the drinking fountains at the public and private places and provides counseling service on how to improve theequipment. To ensure the drinking water safety for school children, the EPB recently completed in early February 2013 the inspection and testing of drinking fountains in363primaryandsecondary schools in Taichung City. The EPB also picked up and tested 207samples from the water dispensers. All the testing results met the drinking water quality standards.
According to the Drinking Water Management Act,all thepublic and privateplaces (such as nurseries, major medical institutions, nursing care facilities, schools, cram schools, cultural and educational establishments, transport stations, scenic recreation areas and large utility units) shall clean and maintain their water dispensers every month anddisplay the maintenance records. Moreover, they shall detect coliforms every three months on a regular basis.Anyoneviolating the Act shall be punished by a fine of not less than 10,000 New Taiwan dollars but not morethan100,000 New Taiwan dollars in accordance with Article 23of the Drinking Water Management Act. Furthermore, if the source of the drinking fountainsis not from the running water, the water source should be sampled and tested for nitrate nitrogen and arsenic every three months to ensure the safety of water sources. The EPB urges again that all the public or private premises shall take good care of their drinking fountains so as tosafeguard the health and wellbeing of the public. If you have any doubt, please contact the Environmental Sanitation and Toxic Substance Management Division of Environmental Protection Bureau (04-22276011 ext.66518)