DROUGHT PARCHES TAIPEI, CITY ANNOUNCES MORE WATER RATIONING.

TAIPEI, May 1 Asia Pulse - Drought conditions continue to plague northern Taiwan and with no relief in sight, the Taipei City Government announced a second phase of water rationing measures Tuesday.

Taipei Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der headed a task force formed Tuesday and set out regulations that will begin Wednesday. They include suspending the watering of flowers and shrubbery by the government as well as stopping all street-cleaning activities that use water. Fountains around the city will be turned off and window washing and the cleaning of the outside of buildings will be suspended.

Starting May 8, the government will suspend water supplies to public and private swimming pools, saunas, spas and car washes.

Additional measures will be taken depending on the level of the Feitsui Reservoir, which is the key source of water for the greater Taipei area. The measures under consideration include reducing the water supplied to government and military facilities, wholesale warehouses and department stores, hotels, gas stations, state-owned companies, large private companies and temples.

Water supplies will be cut to these places by 20 percent initially, and then by 35 percent, and finally by 50 percent should the need arise.

Ou relayed the instructions given to him by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou

that the public should be prepared to accept some inconvenience while the city endures the drought. He also said that it is everyone's responsibility to conserve water during these trying times.