Taiwan sewer system. Need answers

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
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Hi, before i start this might be a bit of a read just to let you know.

I’m trying to find out how the sewer (toilets/greywater/etc) in Taiwan works especially in Kaohsiung.

What started this was today, i was walking along this creek/canal/river thing in Formosa Blvd area.
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I noticed the water was all brown and had like oil stuff floating on top. Then i could hear water running into this creek thing from under the bridges (where the road goes over the creek). This was at midnight so i couldnt see anything there but as i kept walking up i noticed this outfall thing with water running out if it. After close inspection the water was coming from a pipe connected to this manhole on the road.
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I cant read or speak chinese but the manhole said something like this 高污水. It did have the 高 and 水 characters on it. Apparently 高污水 is surposed to mean “high effluent” according to yandex translator so i assume this means “sanitary sewer system”?? If this is the case then, does that mean that raw sewage just goes into the river/ocean instead of a treatment plant?? because to my knowledge there are sewage plants in Kaohsiung.

Another thing, there are these drains on the streets that are everywhere.
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These say something like this 高污水 aswell, these sometimes have a sewer smell coming out of them so why is this? Are these connected to the actual sewer pipes (the manholes with the 高污水 characters) or are these actual stormwater drains that sewage somehow gets into.

I’m kinda working on a “project thingo” so i really want to get some concrete answers about all this. To my knowledge Taiwan is a developed (first world) country?? because after seeing this sewer river stuff im really questioning whether this country is developed or not. It amazes me how clean the streets are yet it seems that people here are too stupid to realise that sewage needs to be treated like wtf even thailand treatment facilities (apparently).

Also does anyone know of someone(s) i can speak to in person about this or any place that also knows.

Thanks

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I believe most of the tea houses get their water from those things you saw.
On a serious note, have you tried the city’s EPA or environmental services department?
Maybe practice your Chinese or help their English.

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I might soon see the epa or something.

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I would like to know as well. I often cringe seeing restaurants pour things like used oil down storm drains on the side of the street. I’m pretty sure that’s awful for the environment as it’s not treated.

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WATER RESOURCES BUREAU, KAOHSIUNG CITY GOVERNMENT is responsible for sewer system
http://wrb.kcg.gov.tw/08_affair/Sewage7.asp

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Actually even in Taipei , or at least New Taipei City, masssive amounts of sewage still goes directly into the river .

Take a bike ride along the Wugu Riverside where those new buildings are going up, you will see numerous huge ‘outlets’ emptying directly into the river and stinking like hell.

I’ve noticed smaller outlets in many other places alongside the river, even in Muzha, Jingmei etc.

Many areas don’t seem to have been connected yet or else the sewage just conducts the waste directly to the river. It’s truly disgusting!

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This area (front of rail station) of Kaoshiung is old, and most rundown in urban area, so connections to sewer are not all there (but should be but enforcement is lax). Yes there is a modern sewer system and waste treatment plant, but not everyone follows the rules/law. Its like the toilet paper issue that bothers me, you can now (should-must) flush it , but still many local people do not do it (they put used toilet paper in trash). The same does with dumping waste water.
In this matter Taiwan is way behind others, even much more so than mainland China as far urban sewers and habits. And in that area and that sewer waterway never changes much, so I just avoid that area if I can. Maybe with the new rail station things will get better but I doubt it as now other areas seem get more money/better people in Kaohsuing like area near Ikea with new luxury high rise residence (I am amazed so many people can but that as a side note)

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That’s why officially in Taipei you need an oil separator (box or pit) and split sewage systems.

Septic tanks are used sometimes to separate liquid from solid, I’ve seen them come and pump the tank several times a year at the apartment complex.

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Maybe this will help with your inquiry. Surprised the website has an English section.

https://www.cpami.gov.tw/international-focus/sewer-engineering/10808-the-sewage-treatment-rate.html

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WRONG! I would never, ever characterize Taiwan as a first world country.

People having money and driving BMW and Mercedes cars doesn’t a first world nation make. First world incomes, 3rd world mentality.

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Looking at the sewage network connection percentage (still shockingly low), the water quality, the air quality and the driving quality.

Hmmmmm .

On other areas they stack up fairly well but there are BIG gaps. The rivers are filthy and disgusting and the air is too across much of the West coast.

Also I don’t believe the New Taipei City figures I think they are lies. Anybody can cycle along the Riversides and see that with their own eyes or rather smell it with their noses!

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I’m sorry, is that your Strava map of your walk in Kaohsiung?

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This river thing in the circle is where the sewage outfalls are.

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So basically those rectangle drains on the streets every few metres are for (surposed to be for) stormwater only?? amd the manholes are the actual sewer system?. So they thought it would be a good idea to run the sewer pipes into the river and not a treatment facility. Do people in Taiwan not see an issue with this? Do they not educate people on importance of sewage treatment.
This country used to be apart of japan amd it seems most people do japan type things but not this. Wtf

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Look at it without bias or judgement. I know it’s bad. But they are ditches. Concrete controlled flow ditches. In that sense they are better than countryside western ones (dugouts) and on par with western cities.

The issue is with connections and private property (and government will to change it). I remember i think around 10 years ago kaohsiung was close to doing this with a developer but the connection costs were too high or something and negotiations fell through.

Anyway.

Private land problem. Unlike the west in the countryside we have septic tanks and septic fields. Google for details but essentially your shit pit is divided in at least to stages and heavy solids flow in and sink down (settle) and the liquids over flow into the second compartment (so on if there are more). The outflow theoretically is now free from most solids and flows out through a pipe system with holes embedded in gravel to prevent roots from clogging it. Lets say for a standard house its 50 meters long. Things like soil density, water movement, well water proximity, public area etc etc all dictate placement and length of your septic field (pipes with holes in gravel). Probably the real reason grass lawns are more popular as larger plants roots clog such fields and they need to be dug up and replaced…

So taiwan doesn’t use this system, obviously. Most residential places use a single tank, no partition, and is essentially a shit pit. Thus very little separation. New ones might have 2, but every single one i have seen installed is WAY undersized. There is also never a septic field, and in most cases the outflow of this pit goes to the ditch. By the way grey water generally goes directly to the ditch, generally only toilets go to the septic tank.

Now you may recall hearing about taiwans pipes “being too old” so you dont flush tissue down the toilet and thus why we all get to look at what you ate the day before in the trash. Flies and bugs get to eat it and walk around with it.

Now, i think since 2016, taiwan cdc has issued a big hepatitis awareness thing and now you may also notice in a lot of places (especially public buildings) saying to throw soiled tissue in the toilet… but nothing else. Good. But why?

So now must we assume all these old pipes have been dug up and replaced with new ones? Silly bugger, of course not. Now instead of getting hepatitis (as much) or other fun shit related diseases they are realizing that instead of putting feces in a basket all day in the tropical heat, and instead of ignoring the obvious of tiny septic holding tanks, no field and almost no waste management (go away sky dragons!), maybe its time to pay that 2000nt every 10 years to pump out the septic tank.

Oh ya, those metal cover plates in nearly every ground floor bathroom are the gateway to septic hell and where the trucks (taiwan has many to hire in fact) insert their shit sucking pipe and remove it all for you.

So due to bad construction, lame building “code” and virtually no inspection or enforcement we get huge amount of water contamination (think about this next time your relative cooks fish at CNY. And due to being incredibly cheap and ignorant no one wants to pump out their already over capacity holding tank. And because of face, no one will ever admit the old pipe thing was wrong.

Welcome to Taiwan by the way. Sorry, not going to edit probably a lot of typos. But theres a primer on taiwans sewage management. This topic drives me completely bonkers…

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Thanks for reply. Do you have any pictures of the septic tank lid/cover?? Sorry to be a pain but hopefully this thread could help out everyone.

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Heres ours.

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Note apartments/condos/large commercial buildings wont be like this

Also note, landlords will almost never pay to have it done. Many probably are unaware by this day and age :frowning:

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The key is “used to be”! Once the Chinese took over, everything went to hell and it’s been that way ever since.

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Thanks for taking picture. Ive seen something like that in some bathrooms before so that is the entry to septic tank… Its weird cause back in Aus ive sometimes seen these things in public toilets aswell so i guess back in the west where there are proper sewers these are inspection points for the pipes? maybe.

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I think you are probably giving too much credit to the west…There is no question places like Australia have better connectivity than taiwan. But that’s about it. Much of the world works like this. A city near where im from, Victoria Canada, still has massive rotting 100 year old sewer system which a lot of raw sewage runs to the ocean. Highly developed areas tend to most often be glamorous stories people just aren’t willing to think about. Same shit, different smell if you like.

Ironically, probably some of the most advanced waste disposal systems are in Asia (not here haha).

Maybe tomorrow when its light out and im feeling frisky, ill take a pic of our outflow for you too. It goes to the ditch, as do most, but our ditch isnt even covered, when the sink or shower goes on so does the outflow pipe 3 seconds later. Our ditch has the most lovely shades of green moss you could ever imagine :slight_smile:

Interestingly, the house i have did figure out gravity and smell and the outflow and bathroom/kitchens were designed intentionally to be on the low laying part of the land so that it will run down the ditch. 80 year old house. this is where Japanese engineering, and chinese laziness hybridized quite expectedly.