Public Works Department, Taipei City Government

Based on regulations of “Taipei City Sewerage Utilization Fee Levy Self-government Act,” the Sewerage Utilization Fee is levied since 1983 as a necessary source of funding for operating and managing the sewerage system. Starting in 1998, the Sewerage Utilization Fee has been set at NT$5 per degree of water use until now.

Due to this “long-time-no-change” Sewerage Utilization Fee, a significant funding unbalance is seen in the construction of sewerage infrastructure. According to statistics, the annual costs of construction, maintenance and operations averaged NT$2.5 billion in 2019-2021; user connection in Taipei City has reached 910 thousand households. Annual budget for income of Sewerage Utilization Fee averaged NT$1.3 billion; the dthe difference between these is big ifference between the two is big; the insufficiency has to be compensated by the unit’s official budget to maintain normal operations of the city’s sewerage system and to ensure water quality of rivers without having continued deterioration; however, considering the citizens’ burdens and financial conditions of the city government, this fee has been maintained at the present level of NT$5 per degree for more than two decades.