A tributary of Taichung's Toubiankeng Creek has turned milky white due to industrial effluent released upstream. The discharge comes despite a spate of fines for local factories for dumping wastewater.
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00:00The Toh Pien Kong Creek in the central city of Taichung is far from the world's cleanest
00:05waterway, with pollution from nearby factories contributing to regular fish die-offs.
00:11But even residents used to the creek's poor water quality were surprised when one of its
00:15tributaries turned strange colors on Sunday.
00:30By the time inspectors arrived, it was milky white.
00:34They took samples for testing, and placed oil-absorbent booms in the water to keep the
00:39pollution from spreading, a serious concern for locals.
00:50Using a drone, they tracked down the source of the pollution – a factory that treats
00:55metal surfaces.
00:57An initial look into records found it didn't have permission to release wastewater.
01:02The factory's doors were locked, but inspectors are still expecting an explanation.
01:08And they say there may be consequences for the owners under the Water Pollution Control
01:12Act.
01:18The factory may even get shut down.
01:21But this will not be the first factory in the area to face penalties for dumping.
01:26Fish die-offs between January and March led to investigations that ended with a collective
01:3146,000 U.S. dollar fine on 12 factories here.
01:36Yet again, inspectors find themselves trying to deter a destructive practice and safe an
01:42important waterway under pressure.
01:45Patrick Chen and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.