Over a hundred Shilin District residents have reported experiencing symptoms of acute gastroenteritis that were suspected to be due to poor water quality, causing uncomfortable inconveniences to locals.
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Residents gathering at the water towers in Shilin’s Xishan Village have been coming to take tap water back home since the recent earthquake. However, numerous villagers have been experiencing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
One resident said both her son and husband got sick with her son severe enough to require an emergency room trip. It is estimated that over 200 people have fallen ill, with a few requiring hospitalization for IV fluids.
Suspicions that the shared water source may have caused the widespread symptoms are being investigated. The village chief revealed that the residents have relied on mountain spring water, not the water towers, for years.
The Taipei Water Department staff said they have previously provided related assistance, though because the villagers did not want their water to be chlorinated, the department could only provide long-term guidance. In response, the water department has dispatched personnel to inspect the area and set up four stations for residents to access clean water. The nearby Xishan Elementary School has urgently installed a new water tower and suspended the use of its drinking fountains. The school principal stated that they would have the Health Department conduct another water quality test.
Taipei Mayor Jiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) pointed out that while the coliform bacteria levels tested on April 8th were slightly higher than average, they were not significantly different from the same period last year. The exact source, whether related to the recent earthquake or the water, has not been definitively determined. Regardless of the cause, local residents are dealing with excrementally major inconveniences.