Mayor Lin Chia-lung has actively promoted water governance after taking office. The construction of Green River in front of Taichung Station has now entered the final phase after one year or more. On January 22, Mayor Lin led the team to visit the construction site and confirmed that the construction will end by Lunar New Year.

“We are proud that the Mother River of Taichung will finally be delivered from pollution”, said Mayor Lin. It is fortunate that rivers run through the downtown area in Taichung. Over the past decades, domestic sewage was discharged directly to these rivers, leading to the smell. Therefore, the city government had to cover these rivers with cement. Through treatment, the quality and flood control of these rivers and the surroundings have been greatly improved. Mayor Lin recognized the efforts made by the Water Resources Bureau and the construction team.

Mayor Lin explained that, in addition to the 600-meter treatment in the first phase, treatment of the whole basin will be planned based on the special budget for future infrastructure. By then, Green River and Willow River will form the two-river culture of Taichung City. Between the two rivers will be walkways set up with the overpass railway and park roads, forming a people-oriented green corridor.

Green River is expected to be made open to the public by Lunar Chinese Year. Mayor Lin invites citizens in Taichung to visit the two rivers and witness the glory of Central District and stories behind it.

Chou Ting-chang, Director of the Water Resources Bureau, pointed out that the process of detailed planning was not easy in addition to traffic control, pipeline migration, and communication with nearby stores. The Green River Waterfront Corridor Project improves the quality of Green River radically through drainage, sewage interception, gravel treatment, and flood control, making Green River an ultra-large water filter buried under the ground. The Project is expected to be completed by Lunar New Year.

The Water Resources Bureau indicated that the priority of the Green River Waterfront Corridor Project was quality improvement, which accounted for 2/3 of the total expenditure. The polluted source of Green River was treated on-site and then reflowed. The daily volume of treatment is 24,000 CMD. In addition to solving pollution, the Project maintains the necessary base flow of the river. After treatment, Green River has been changed from seriously polluted to mildly polluted.

The safety of flood control and the conservation of the ancient bridge are priorities in the Project. Drain box culverts were set up to double Zhongshan Green Bridge’s cross-section allowing the floods to pass, while protecting the ancient bridge from flooding; during the construction, piers of Yin Bridge were found occasionally and protected by the Bureau. The façade of Yin Bridge is embossed on the outside of the existing bridge. In the future, citizens may appreciate the historical trace of Yin Bridge closely through the sidewalk under Taiwan Boulevard Bridge.

The Water Resources Bureau emphasized that the city government aimed for the comprehensive water governance. Green River is 5.7km in length and its main source of pollution has been significantly reduced. Currently, the construction of water treatment and landscaping is about to end soon. By then, a lot of clean water will reflow to Green River. The treatment of the section on Minquan Road has been planned for the Water Environment Project under the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program. Welcome citizens to witness regenerated Green River in front of Taichung Station at Lunar New Year.