October 23, 2012 [Reporter Cheng Te-cheng, Tainan City Report]

City Councilor Tseng Wang Ya-yun raised concerns during a session yesterday, stating, "Drinking water is sounding the alarm: 1.29 million households have tap water with excessive aluminum levels, posing a dementia risk." She pointed out that six water treatment plants in Tainan City exceeded standards, with the Nanyu Water Treatment Plant recording an aluminum level as high as 1.1 PPM—seven times higher than the international standard—severely threatening public health. She urged the city government to establish an upper limit for aluminum in drinking water. Mayor Lai Ching-te responded that drinking water standards fall under the Environmental Protection Administration’s (EPA) jurisdiction, and he would request the EPA to set a standard as soon as possible.

Councilor Tseng Wang Ya-yun noted that, to ensure drinking water quality and improve public water standards, the EPA commissioned China Environment Technology Co., Ltd. in 2011 to conduct a "Sampling and Testing Plan for Difficult-to-Test Items in Drinking Water Quality Standards." The plan involved sampling and testing tap water supply systems across counties and cities nationwide, covering 14 heavy metals, eight volatile organic compounds, anionic surfactants, and total trihalomethanes in water quality. Samples were collected from ten locations in Tainan City, including the Tanding Water Treatment Plant in Xinshi District, Wushantou Water Treatment Plant in Guantian District, Nanhua Water Treatment Plant in Nanhua District, Baihe Water Treatment Plant in Baihe District, Nanyu Water Treatment Plant in Nanxi District, Anhe Road in Annan District, Anzhong Road in Annan District, Kaiyuan Road in North District, Youai Street in Central West District, and Jinhua Road in South District. In May of last year, the EPA reported that all samples met drinking water quality standards.

Tseng Wang Ya-yun highlighted that the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a warning threshold for aluminum in tap water at 0.15 PPM. However, media reports indicated that six water treatment plants in Tainan City exceeded this limit, with the Nanyu Water Treatment Plant recording an aluminum level of 1.1 PPM—more than seven times the international standard. She explained that aluminum has been shown to cause neurotoxicity in animal studies, and excessive human intake could increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, accelerating brain function decline.

Tseng Wang Ya-yun questioned why aluminum is not included in domestic water quality testing, noting that advanced countries like those in Europe and the U.S. set a regulatory limit of around 0.2 PPM. Environmental Protection Bureau Chief Chang Huang-chen explained that it is not included due to varying standards across countries. Tseng Wang Ya-yun remarked that sensational media reports have caused public fear. She asked Mayor Lai Ching-te whether Tainan City would establish an upper limit for aluminum in drinking water. Lai responded that aluminum standards in drinking water are a national matter to be set by the EPA, and he would urge them to establish a standard promptly while clarifying media reports as needed.

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