Taichung City Orders Construction Project to Halt for Discharging Muddy Water into Chaoyang River
The Chaoyang River in Xitun District, Taichung, was polluted by muddy water discharge from a nearby construction site. The Taichung City Urban Development Bureau announced on May 20th that it has ordered the project to stop work after confirming it was the source of pollution. The Environmental Protection Bureau also issued an increased fine of NT$60,000. The project had a history of two prior violations for the same offense, leading to stricter penalties for the repeated infraction.
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- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 18:46
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 19:02 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 20, 2026 at 19:10 (8 min after Collected)
(CNA, by reporter Hao Hsueh-ching, Taichung, 20th) The Taichung City Urban Development Bureau announced today that a construction site in Xitun District was ordered to halt work after it was confirmed to be discharging groundwater mixed with a large amount of mud and sand, polluting the Chaoyang River. The Environmental Protection Bureau has also increased the fine to NT$60,000. The Urban Development Bureau stated that after receiving a report yesterday, it promptly dispatched personnel with the Taichung Professional Structural Engineers Association and the Environmental Protection Bureau for a joint on-site inspection. The source of the pollution was confirmed to be a new construction project on Lane 75, Fengjia Road, in Xitun District. The bureau pointed out that while the contractor was installing basement retaining piles, seepage from an impermeable layer within the site was disturbed by construction activities. This caused the pumped groundwater to contain excessive mud and sand. The sludge was discharged directly into public drainage channels without adequate settling, causing the water in the Chaoyang River to turn yellow and turbid. The Urban Development Bureau explained that the construction project had been previously cited for the same violation. At that time, the contractor was fined the maximum of NT$9,000, ordered to temporarily suspend excavation, and given a deadline for improvement. For this repeated violation of the 'Building Act' concerning public health, in addition to the work stoppage order, the contractor was fined the maximum of NT$9,000 under the 'Taichung City Self-Government Ordinance for Building Management' and 'Taichung City Regulations for Construction Management.' The bureau stressed that work can only resume after the contractor submits a construction improvement and drainage plan, passes a review by a third-party consultant, and an on-site inspection by a guild-appointed technician confirms that the 'sludge sedimentation treatment equipment' meets regulations. The Environmental Protection Bureau stated that the site had previously been caught discharging muddy groundwater on April 21 and May 10, resulting in fines of NT$30,000 each time based on penalty guidelines. As this inspection again found the discharge of groundwater with excessive mud and sand polluting the water body, the fine will be increased to NT$60,000 under the 'Water Pollution Control Act.' Future violations will be met with progressively heavier penalties without leniency.