Major Housing Development Dumps Raw Sewage into Local Streams

A meeting was held today after whistle-blowers revealed a residential housing development in Linkou are about to let residents move in to buildings which are not connected to a sewage system, and are currently polluting local streams with raw effluent.

The A7 affordable housing buildings were constructed by the Far Glory group, and have already attracted controversy after executives were found to have paid bribes to get approval for the project. In December 2015, two senior executives and a deputy magistrate were sentenced over the issue in what amounted to a slap on the wrist – deferred sentences and a fine.

It was pointed out that when residents move into the apartment complexes, around 12,000 tons of waste water will be released into local streams every day. The streams flow through Xinzhuang District. The waterways already carry large amounts of trash from the construction sites upstream, are full of frothy, white bubbles from detergents, and stink. The streams then flow into Taipei’s Dahan River, before emptying into the Taiwan Strait at Danshui(Tamsui).

The housing development is named after the A7 MRT station on the new Airport line which connects Taipei’s Metro system to Taipei Taoyuan Airport. The Airport line is currently in testing phase and due to open this year.

The Linkou District is New Taipei City’s most rapidly developing residential district, and the affordable housing development, along with the other housing developments in the district are taking advantage of low-to-middle income families’ flight from the over-priced residential properties of Taipei City.

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