Water officials say that cloud seeding efforts have helped produce much needed rain in Taiwan.
That’s good news, considering the nation has begun stage-two water rationing, which involves cuts at high-usage facilities such as water fountains, street cleaners and other major non-urgent users of water.
Non-industrial users that consume over 1,000 cubic meters of water per month, including swimming pools and car washes, have seen their supply cut by 20%, while industrial users, have had their supply cut by 5%. Medical institutions and other designated users are not subject to rationing.
Water officials began the latest round of cloud seeding efforts at eight major reservoirs starting at 7:50pm on Saturday night. They were hoping to push back phase-three rationing – or across-the-board limits – which could be needed as early as late May.
Officials say that overnight rain added 200 tons of water to one reservoir alone -- the Zengwen Reservoir in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan. They say the rainfall will add an additional eight days to the water supply in Pingtung, and three days to the supply in Tainan, both in southern Taiwan.