The Environmental Protection Bureau of the Pingtung County Government is committed to reducing the pollution deterioration of the Donggang and Gaoping River basins, improving river water quality, and eliminating illegal pollution sources. This is aimed at reducing the occurrence of public complaints, alleviating environmental load, and achieving the goal of overall basin pollution reduction. The project is specifically designed to assist the Environmental Protection Bureau in comprehensively implementing the county’s water pollution control livestock industry inspection (patrol), strengthening key monitoring stations and pollution hotspots checks, cracking down on illegal discharges and hidden pipes, and using real-time pollution monitoring equipment to crack down on illegal operators and carry out water quality sampling and testing operations. At the same time, it provides improvement suggestions to guide enterprises to conduct in-depth inspections of wastewater facilities for high-pollution businesses, etc., to enhance the wastewater facility management capabilities of companies in the county and curb illegal businesses from discharging wastewater, reducing the pollution load on the environment, and improving the overall environmental quality.
The implementation results of the project from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 are summarized as follows:
1. Livestock inspection
(1) The project has implemented 2,042 inspections of water pollution listed enterprises (animal husbandry) in Pingtung County, with a target achievement rate of 100%, including 1,000 inspections of the livestock industry located upstream of key measurement stations, with a target achievement rate of 100%; 1,346 livestock enterprises (in operation) have been audited at least once, with a target achievement rate of 100%.
(2) Based on the audit results, several livestock wastewater treatment facilities were in subpar condition. Common issues included unsealed anaerobic tanks with inadequate hydraulic retention time, insufficient aeration in aeration tanks, and a lack of equipment maintenance. Guidance and improvement suggestions were provided to the operators to address these issues. A total of 403 companies received this counseling, out of which 288 had issues primarily with their sedimentation tanks. These issues ranged from irregular sludge discharge, overly short residence time and poorly designed overflow rates.
(3) The project aims to construct a hierarchical control database, drawing from the results of at least one inspection conducted for each establishment (totaling 1,346). The control measures were categorized into three levels: Level 1 (red light), Level 2 (yellow light), and Level 3 (green light). Among these, 134 companies (10%) fall under Level 1, 883 companies (65.6%) under Level 2, and 329 companies (24.4%) under Level 3.
(4) The project conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis of the complaints received in the animal husbandry industry. The data spans from January to October for the years 2019 through 2023. A comparative study of these periods reveals a consistent year-on-year decline in odor and water pollution cases. This trend underscores the effectiveness of the inspections, guidance, and odor counseling implemented for the livestock industry in recent years, leading to a marked improvement.
2. Implementation of Water Quality Sampling and Testing Procedures
(1) Sampling and testing of water quality in companies: 73 water quality samples from runoff water have been collected and tested from companies involved in the livestock industry. Among these, 28 companies were found to have test results that did not meet the required standards.
(2) Water quality sampling and testing at the measurement station: A total of 27 water quality sampling and inspection points at the measurement station have been successfully completed. Samples were collected and submitted individually. The sampling frequency was as follows: Jiouru Bridge: 6 times, Chengde Bridge: 4 times, Longdon Bridge: 6 times, Xingshe Bridge: 6 times, and Hong Kong West Pumping Station: 4 times.
(3) Water quality sampling and testing in polluted hot spots: 38 water quality sampling points in contaminated hot areas have been completed. The water quality and quantity investigation revealed that the main dirty hot spots are Xinmin Bridge in Wuluo River, Wuluo Bridge in Jiouru Township, and Dinglin Drainage The unnamed bridges on Dachun Road, the unnamed bridges on Sanhe Road in Longjing Creek Drainage, The unnamed bridges on Xiawa Road in Singhuabu Drainage, and the unnamed bridges on Gangqian Road and Diankou Road in Xinyuan Drainage were estimated to be the primary sources of pollution.
(4) Wetland water quality sampling and testing: 14 wetland water quality sampling and inspection points have been completed, and samples were taken and submitted separately. Haifeng Wetland: 6 points, Golden Wetland: 4 points, and Zhenliao Wetland: 4 points. A total of 152 water quality sampling points have been sampled, and the target achievement rate is 100%.
3. Real-time pollution monitoring and inspection
The project employs 24-hour continuous water quality monitoring equipment to establish real-time water quality monitoring downstream of 40 enterprises with abnormal drainage (specifically, those in animal husbandry). This setup allows for the observation of changes in water turbidity over time. Two companies were discharging without proper discharge outlets, and one company had not applied for a permit. The quality of the discharge water sampled from 28 companies exceeded the discharge water standards, while the quality of the discharge water sampled from 9 companies met the standards. The goal achievement rate for this project was 100%.
4. In-depth inspection of wastewater facilities
The project has conducted in-depth inspections of 14 wastewater facilities. Following the initial evaluation, two experts and scholars conducted on-site re-evaluations and presented their in-depth inspection conclusions and relevant recommendations during consultation meetings. Three companies have submitted their improvement plans. It was confirmed on-site that the color of the discharged water has significantly improved, the surrounding odor has been greatly reduced, and the equipment pipelines have been marked. The remaining 11 companies are in the process of submitting their plans. The progress of these operators will be monitored in the future to ensure the optimal functioning of the wastewater treatment facilities. The goal achievement rate for this project was 100%.
5. Establishment of pollutant source data for unregulated enterprises
(1) The project encompassed 1,551 unlisted enterprises in Pingtung County. Most of these enterprises are chicken farms, numbering 843, followed by 489 duck farms, 87 goose farms, 108 sheep farms, and six deer farms. Additionally, 18 households and food factories have completed the update of the pollution source map and the data on the quantity and scale of non-scheduled enterprises in the livestock industry.
(2) Under the project, 53 duck-laying farms in the non-scheduled livestock industry have been inspected. Runoff water from 17 of these farms has been collected and analyzed. The results indicate that data from 3 farms have not yet been received, and the concentrations vary significantly. Among the duck-laying farms, 15 are equipped with wastewater treatment facilities. The concentration of the flowing water discharged from these farms is considerably lower than that of the water directly discharged without treatment. The goal achievement rate for this project was 100%.
(3) The inspection results of the discharged water from the laying duck farm revealed that the concentration of suspended solids (SS) ranged from 108 to 4,670 mg/L, the concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD) varied from 166 to 7,870 mg/L, and the concentration of ammonia nitrogen fluctuated between 3.61 and 271 mg/L. The analysis of the discharge water from the meat duck farm showed that the concentration of suspended solids (SS) ranged from 194 to 206 mg/L, the concentration of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) varied from 62.3 to 71.4 mg/L, and the concentration of ammonia nitrogen was between 1.04 and 1.67 mg/L. These findings suggest that the quality of water discharged from laying duck farms can significantly impact the overall pollution load of the river.
(4) During the evaluation of this project, one laying duck farm was planning the installation of wastewater treatment facilities, utilizing the lotus as a pilot project.
6. Comprehensive Audit of the Nighthawk Early Bird and Expanded Project
The project has successfully conducted inspections twice weekly, with at least one person present each time. In collaboration with the Environmental Protection Bureau, the project has carried out 5 early bird inspections, 2 nighthawk inspections, 15 expanded inspections, and 104 independent inspections, resulting in 162 attendances.
7. Inspection and emergency cleanup of water pollution hot spots
The project has successfully conducted inspections of water pollution hotspots twice a month, culminating in a total of 24 checks. Any abnormalities detected have been reported to the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Division of the Environmental Protection Bureau, with standby assistance available for emergency response.
8. Provide Assistance in Assessment-Related Tasks for the Agency
This project has contributed to the assessment target, specifically the inspection of the livestock industry upstream of Xingshe Bridge. Based on the inspection list provided by the Environmental Protection Bureau, a total of 107 farms have been inspected to date.
