Taiwan’s world-leading semiconductor sector demands vast amounts of water, but the supply of fresh water is limited. In 2022, Taipei households used more water per capita than any other capital city worldwide. Now, companies like TSMC say they are investing in wastewater recycling, while environment officials are also looking for ways to reuse wastewater.
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00:00Water. It's the source of much of Taiwan's natural beauty. But Taiwan's water usage
00:08is also a major challenge. In 2022, Taipei households used more water per capita than
00:14any other capital city in the world. And water is also crucial for Taiwan's most important
00:20industry, semiconductors. Chip factories are the largest source of industrial water usage
00:28in Taiwan. They also produce vast amounts of waste water, containing elements such
00:33as cobalt, copper and hydrofluoric acid. Taiwan's largest chip maker, TSMC, says it's working
00:40to improve its waste water recycling, even at a cost.
00:44The Shenzhou Science Park, where TSMC is headquartered, say they too are working to
01:01improve standards.
01:13The country's Environment Ministry is also looking for ways to make better use of waste
01:17water.
01:24Taiwan's water consumption is only expected to increase over the next few years, as officials
01:30and industries attempt to find a balance between conservation and economic growth.
01:35John Su and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.