Taiwan Water and NERI partner to enhance drinking water safety

Taiwan Water Corporation (Taiwan Water) and the National Environmental Research Institute (NERI) have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance drinking water safety and testing technologies. The partnership aims to integrate water supply expertise with environmental research to address modern challenges such as emerging pollutants, algae, and complex contamination.

The collaboration focuses on five core areas: training and transferring emerging pollutant detection technologies, validating standard testing methods for drinking water samples, researching water treatment for emerging pollutants, conducting water quality distribution surveys, and applying artificial intelligence (AI) to algae detection and water quality monitoring.

Taiwan Water Chairman Li Jia-rong noted that environmental changes have introduced new risks, including microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). By working with NERI, the company intends to bridge the gap between scientific research and frontline water management. NERI Director Chang Shun-chin emphasized that the partnership will allow for more proactive detection and tracing of water quality issues to ensure public health and sustainable water resources.