https://english.heo.gov.taipei/News.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&sms=641683B5C02C0BF6enHydraulic Engineering Officehttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=BDA74F3ED569C5A6
In consideration of the importance of rivers to urban development over time, waterfront space has been indispensable from man's daily life since ancient times. In recent years, due to the rise of economic development and living standards, the public's demand for riverside parks has increased. Therefore, based on the historical and cultural characteristics and in coordination with the environmental positioning of individual riverside parks, the HEO has built a rich riverside ecosystem and complete leisure facilities to turn riverside parks into popular spots for citizens to enjoy waterfront fun, leisure, and sports, as well as the largest backyard garden of Taipei.

The riverside areas total about 777 hectares. After complete planning and utilization, the HEO established 29 riverside parks with an area totals 513 hectares. They include 12 parks along the Keelung River, 3 parks along the Jingmei River, 7 parks along the Xindian River, 5 parks along the Tamsui River, and 2 parks along the Shuangxi River. The HEO also connected them with a 112km-long bikeway.

Six theme riverside park
​To change citizens' stereotype of riverside parks, and shape quality venues with a spacious view, special landscapes, eco-diversity, and leisure diversity, the HEO has planned six theme riverside parks and marketing slogans based on the characteristics of each zone.


Theme 1: Shezidao Wetlands Theme Park
Shezidao is located at the confluence of the Keelung and Tamsui rivers. In the area, there is the Daotou Wetland, Sheliu Wetland, and a wetland formed by the old and new levees. Altogether, they are called the Shezidao Wetlands. As they are close to the "Tamsui River Basin Wetland" announced as a national wetland by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) in 2011, Shezidao Wetlands have extremely high conservation value. The HEO planned the Shezidao Wetlands Park based on two themes: wetland environment building and guided ecotour. By improving tidal channels, tidal pools, aquatic plants, and the floodplain environment, many plants and animals are propagated to achieve biodiversity. Alongside the nearby convenient circular Shezidao bikeway system, the park has become an intertidal wetland paradise for ecological conservation, environmental education, leisure, and landscapes.
Outlook of Shezidao Wetlands

Theme 2: Dajia Family Waterfront Park
The Dajia Riverside Park was restored into an open park after the 2010 Flora Expo. The overall spatial layout was also transformed from a controlled venue for the expo into a riverside park for the public. Based on "get off the adult's high horse and see the world from children's point of view," the HEO proceeded with park spatial reengineering by equipping the venue with playground equipment, fitness facilities, a water play area, a sandpit play area, sprinklers, and sprinkler pads to provide a space for parents and children to enjoy outdoor water activities and light foods to match the family waterfront park theme of the Dajia Riverside Park, which has become the most popular leisure venue for families. Dajia Family Waterfront Theme Park

Theme 3: Rainbow Bridge Love Theme Park
The Rainbow Bridge spans over the riverside park on the left and right banks of the Chengmei River. Its gorgeous red s-shaped body is a favorite object of many photography lovers. The HEO turned the area into the Rainbow Bridge Riverside Park. At the riverside plaza under the bridge, a series of love-themed landscapes are designed, including the Lover's Trail on with "I Love You" in 12 languages is indicated, the Lover's Seat, the 3D LOVE sculpture, and the love lock. By decorating the space with a romantic mood, the HEO aims to provide a base exclusive for "confirmed lovers." With this romantic riverside atmosphere, citizens will not need to travel overseas to experience love scenes and attractions comparable to that of foreign countries.

Theme 4: Huazhong Camping Theme Park
As the weight of outdoor leisure activities increases in citizens, camping has become increasingly popular in recent years. The HEO thus built Taiwan's first "camping" theme riverside park at upstream Huazhong Bridge in the Huazhong Riverside Park. With an area of about 12 hectares, the campground includes 33 vehicle campsites equipped with water and electricity supply and Taiwan's pioneered independent sewerage facility; a tent ground of 1.4 hectares for 160 tent campsites; a covered plaza with shelters for sunlight and rain for citizens to enjoy interior facilities while camping. There is also a large vehicle car park, the Huazhong Riverside Park bikeway system, bicycle rental stations, and various ballgame facilities, making the park a multifunctional recreational campground. 

Theme 5: Guting Flower Sea Wedding Photography Theme Park
The Guting Riverside Park was planned with a great green meadow as its canvas, on which notes of happiness and colorful stunning flower seas are splashed to create a warm and sweet scene to attract new brides and grooms to take wedding photos. On the access to the riverside park, the "Heart to Heart" installation art is the entrance image. The existing plaza is restructured into the "Love Plaza" and "White Happiness Plaza." In the vicinity, there are other attractions, including Treasure Hill, one of the most characteristic scenes of Taipei selected by The New York Times, and the Taipei Water Park and the Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park, which are excellent spots for wedding photography. Through facility improvement and spatial building, the HEO transformed the park into a wedding photography theme park.

Theme 6: Guandu and Dadaocheng Cultural and Historical Theme Riverside Parks
Sitting next to Guandu Temple in Beitou, the Guandu Riverside Park is a place for watching the gorgeous scenery of Guanyin Mountain and Tamsui River. Bestowed natural landscapes attract citizens to enjoy leisure and recreation in the park and pray for peace in the temple. The Zhonggang River Pier adjacent to the riverside park has been the berthing area of local sampans, forming a special culturalscape. The HEO improved the Zhonggang River Pier and the Steps Plaza by building proportional sampans to mark out the area's fishing harbor cultural background to fully complement the neighboring Guangdu Temple. The HEO also planned and built a floodplain park for waterfront, ecological, and cultural education to present the eco-diversity of Guangdu area.

With a rich historical background, Dadaocheng narrates the evolution of Taipei from a flourishing city in the past into a modern city today – the change in time-space. With such, the HEO links the nearby culturalscapes, such as old streets and temples, with the riverside space at the start. By erecting information signage, the HEO presents the old photos, stories, and scenes of Dadaocheng. 

In addition, at the entrance of the Yanping Riverside Park, the HEO added installation arts to make the overall visual landscape more beautiful. In the night, the HEO lights up the Tamsui River bank for citizens strolling along the river to appreciate the views and recall the memories of the river's historical past.

 ]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 11:18:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=08ED644A08F32B9D
Photo taken at the 2019 voluntary disaster prevention meeting.
There are always limits in traditional engineering methods. In addition, as extreme rainfall events have increased in recent years and government support is limited, self-help and self-protection of residents during the golden period of rescue have become the first line of defense in disaster prevention and recue, while community mutual assistance and government rescue are the second and third lines of defense respectively. (Passive Rescue◊Active/Self-Resilience)

Promoting resilient communities can help enhance the crisis awareness of residents and thereby encourage them to take actions to reduce the risk and damage of disasters.
Residents are assembled to collect sandbags for voluntary disaster prevention.

Residents line up to collect sandbags for voluntary disaster prevention.]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 11:16:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=970AB4015906EEAE
Origin
After typhoons Xangsane and Nari traumatized Taipei in 2000 and 2001 respectively, drainage and flood control began to concern citizens. However, people do not want to block floods and recommend flood mitigation through detection and with ecological methods, in order to reduce levee height.  Japan's rainfall pattern is similar to that of Taiwan, featuring rainstorms and typhoons. As Japan has reviewed and raised the design standard of her sewer system after urban development, she developed the integrated flood control technology, which is worthy of learning by Taipei City.

Therefore, the PWD sent a delegation to Japan in 2002, hoping to learn and progressively apply the successful experience of this advanced country in Taipei, and to develop Taipei's decision support and management systems with respect to the trends of hydraulic information technology development overseas, in order to further integrate the GIS database with the runoff patterns in urban and rural areas, river hydrology analysis, urban inundation simulation models, and the real-time monitoring system to progressively develop the real-time, accurate, technological, and systematic patterns of Taipei's river and sewer management. This is the origin of the automation and related ideas of Taipei's pumping stations.

Photo illustration
In 2002, former Interior Minister Wei-Jen Chen (who was then the PWD commissioner) led former PWD Deputy Commissioner Chun-Sheng Luo (retired, who was then the HEO director), Taiyuan PWD Commission Tzu-Feng Huang (who was then a PWD section chief), and HEO Specialist Kuo-Chu Chen (who was then an HEO section chief) to visit the Higashi-kōjiya pumping station in Tokyo. 

Visit to the Higashi-kōjiya pumping station in Tokyo.
Control room of the Higashi-kōjiya pumping station in Tokyo.
Idea of control automation
The TCG has established 35 rainfall stations and 152 stormwater channel water level stations in the city and consolidates water information to the water integrated surveillance system of Taipei City's Department of Disaster Response Center to provide real-time monitoring data of the rainfall in the watershed area of all pumping stations and the water level of all stormwater channels and rivers. Therefore, integrated water data is provided for the reference of station operation for personnel of individual pumping stations or the automatic monitoring system to be able to promptly activate pumps at the beginning of a rainstorm to enhance the drainage operation efficiency of the pumping station.

Zone Structure

Implementation
In 2003, the TCG hired a consulting company to evaluate and plan the division of Taipei into six zones by river system, region, and operating characteristics to implement zone management by grouping. A trial was piloted on a group of 10 pumping stations along the Xinsheng Drainage Canal in zone 1, and the construction of the automated monitoring system was completed in November 2007.

The tests of typhoons and torrential rain from 2008 to 2010 show that the system is stable and reliable. Later, automatic monitoring systems were built respectively on a group of 15 pumping stations along the left bank (zone 2) and a group of 11 pumping stations along the right bank on the right bank (zone 3) of the Keelung River.

System construction on a group of 7 pumping stations along the Tamsui River and a group of 15 pumping stations in Shezidao (zone 4) began in 2016 and was completed in January 2019. System construction on a group of 12 pumping stations along the Jingmei River (zone 5) was completed in February 2019. System construction on a group of 17 pumping stations in Shilin and Beitou districts (zone 6) will begin in November 2019. Automatic monitoring was planned and implemented on a total of 51 pumping stations to achieve total pumping station automation in the city.

Outlook
At the beginning of development, pumping station automation can be implemented according to the said control automation concept. After evaluating and analyzing the long-period time-series relational data of rainfall, sewer water level, inner basin water level change, and pump activation quantity in heavy rain warnings of each station, and continuously accumulating control experience, in the future, the information regarding rainfall in the catchment area of individual stations, the sewer water level, changes in the inner basin water level, the number of pumps activated, and the opening and closing of gravity gates can be used in the advanced control logic, such as the fuzzy control system or artificial neural control system to remedy the inadequacy of switching with the said control model.

As some pumping stations neighboring the sewer system in the catchment area in Taipei City are currently connected by connection channels, through control and management by zone (group) with the pumping station automated control system, and by integrating with information such as rainfall and sewer water levels, they can enhance the command and dispatch performance of pumping stations' joint operation in the future to reduce workforce demand, enhance flood defense safety, and improve the quality of pumping station maintenance.

A total of 182 typhoons landed Taipei from 1911 to 2015.
Current status of flood control and drainage facilities
Runoffs are reduced by diffusing and holding stormwater with green roof, square holding, building rainwater harvest and diffusion, and greenery water conservation facilities to lower the load on the stormwater sewer system.

With the dedicated optical fiber network, direct equipment control is achieved, and operation or warning signals are fed back to the zone management center for remote surveillance and control.
A CCTV system is constructed with the surveillance server installed at the central control to upload real-time images to the zone management center and management HQ for remote surveillance.

A video conference system is built for the real-time communication and command and contact of flood defense operation between individual zone management centers and the management HQ and TCG flood defense command.

CCTV cameras, active photoelectric beam IR detectors, and PIR motion sensors are erected, and reed switches are installed on doors and windows to maintain station security.
Temperature differential detectors, fixed temperature detectors, and smoke detectors are installed for fire alert.]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 11:11:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=59000DD95D7B3BB2
The TCG has been actively promoting "smart city" development and strengthening "smart flood management" in recent years to address the extreme challenges on hydrological conditions brought by global climate change. Water hazard mitigation technologies are applied to urban flood management to compensate for the city's management and response inadequacy to flood disasters with ICT. The following will introduce how the TCG built the "smart flood management" system by integrating water hazard mitigation technology and ICT, including inner and external water monitoring (surveillance), forecasting and control, water information management and disaster decision support, information disclosure, and feedback decision-making. In addition, with the construction of the pumping station automated monitoring system, we will explain how smart flood management can significantly enhance the operation performance and management and maintenance quality of pumping stations, strengthen response command capacity, prevent man-induced mistakes with automatic machine operation to reduce potential inundation hazards and further reduce the demand for an operating and management workforce to enhance workforce utilization efficiency.

In the future, the TCG will also continue to improve the quality and accuracy of water monitoring for the variation of rainfall in urban areas and water levels in rivers and sewers, and enhance the disclosure and utilization of water information, in order to establish a foundation to enhance the efficiency of smart flood management and improve the performance of automated control of flood control pumping stations. With such, we aim to enable Taipei City to respond to typhoons or rainstorms in the future and complete disaster prevention and relief more efficiently, accurately and safely.]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 11:10:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=9C2BBE87BFA3F5CF
The Neigou River is a riverside paradise sitting on the boundary of two cities.

With a length of 5.5km and a drainage area of about 7km2, the Neigou River is a distributary of the Keelung River. Taipei City sits in the west of the Neigou River, while New Taipei City is in the east. Besides an ideal spot for strolling, leisure, and chatting, it is also the best place for approaching nature for residents of Donghu.

In 2013, the Hydraulic Engineering Office (HEO) began the overall regeneration of landscapes at the middle course of the Neigou River in Donghu. The HEO also extended the riverside trail for nearly 1km at the upper course to link the roaming path in Taipei City on the left and New Taipei City on the right originally separated by the Neigou River with a landscape bridge and a riverside trail. While removing soil deposited there, the water environment of the Wufen Pond was also restored, eco-habitats at different depths were built, and space for ecological education that can see mountains, waters, and nature at all times, stay, and create experience was developed. Besides helping citizens recognize, understand, and practice conservation together, these efforts can revive the beautiful memories that have been preserved in local seniors. 

Transportation
Bus: Nos. 281, 287 (shuttle), 53, 630, 646, 903, S1, S1 (shuttle), Neihu Metro Bus, BR19, and B51. Get off at the "Donghu Elementary High School Stop." Then walk for about 10 minutes and enter from Lane 191 of Kangle Street to get there via the Qixing Ecological Garden.
Taipei Metro: Take the Wenhu Line to the Donghu Station. Leave from Exit No. 3 and walk down the road to Lane 160 of Donghu Road. Turn left to Kangle Street to get there from the LOHAS Park. Take the levee trail towards the upper course. ]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 11:07:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=A33656CE9E7DA80AUnderstanding Huanggang River Reengineering in Beitou

The Huanggang River shuttles between present-day Beitou and Beitou of yesteryear.

The melody of water hides beneath the concrete. When remembering the river running next to home after growing up, what will it be like?

We hope that the Huanggang River will become the backyard garden of Beitou residents after regeneration.

Regeneration by restoring the natural river course and combining with the park allows people to experience the nature of the suburb on the mountainside.

Endless lives are contained in the seemingly deserted landscapes 
Join "Huanggang River Reengineering" and listen to our stories about the Huanggang River.
In the olden days, Taipei used to be a basin filled with rivers and irrigation canals. Thanks to waterway transportation and irrigation, settlements were gradually formed and began to thrive.

Following urban development, however, agriculture disappeared, and those water bodies that were seen everywhere could not escape the fate of being covered by gully grates or pavements. At an event in 2018, Taipei City Mayor Wen-Je Ko expressed that the TCG had begun to consider how to restore existing irrigation canals and rivers to turn Taipei into an ecocity (sustainable city) to tackle the impacts of global climate change.

The Huanggang River running across Beitou downtown is indispensable to the development of settlements and the daily life of residents in Beitou. The "Huanggang River Reengineering Feasibility Evaluation Project" is planned in consideration of enhancing the flood control capacity of the river and improving riverside landscapes. We will visit the Huanggang River to observe, rethink, discover, and re-assess the possibility of the Huanggang River Natural Blue Belt.

Objectives and Visions
The "Huanggang River Reengineering Feasibility Evaluation Project" will evaluate the section between Huanggang Bridge and the estuary.

Overall objectives
(1) Propose more appropriate solutions to enhance flood control and retention functions based on the condition of different sections of the Huanggang River to address climate change issues.
(2) Build aggregable space for open-air activities by integrating the spatial interfaces along the water environment based on the cultural context of the Beitou of yesteryear.
(3) Optimize the ecological landscape system along the Huanggang River by introducing low-impact development planning.
]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 11:03:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=D44A05D52FBCC350
At this point, it is clear that the TCG has built many hydraulic structures for flood control in Taipei City. How does the TCG check and maintain these hydraulic structures, so that they can display their functions during the flood prevention period to ensure flood control and safety? To ensure the flood control capacity and safety of hydraulic structures within TCG's jurisdiction, every year this Office directs the annual inspection of hydraulic structures according to the "Directions for Hydraulic Structures Inspection and Safety Evaluation," "Technical Directions for Blocking and Draining Hydraulic Structures Inspection and Safety Evaluation," "TCG Hydraulic Structures Safety Maintenance Manual," and related regulations. To ensure the accuracy of inspection results, the River Engineering Section conducts the annual inspection of hydraulic structures in coordination with related sections and offices. Then, hydraulic structures are maintained and repaired according to the inspection results before the flood prevention period to ensure their flood control capacity and safety. 

The inspection is conducted in parts: hydraulic structures and pumping stations. The former covers all levees (including revetements), evacuation gates, sedimentation ponds and detention ponds, floodgates and valves within TCG's jurisdiction, and the Xinsheng Drainage Canal, and the latter covers all pumping stations within TCG's jurisdiction. The inspection is conducted by the River Engineering, River Administration, Pumping Stations I & II sections of this Office.

The periodic inspection of hydraulic structures is scheduled according to the "Hydraulic Structures and Pumping Stations Inspection SOP." After completing the preliminary inspection, this Office summarizes the results for the Public Works Department to conduct the second inspection. In addition, when an incident that may affect the safety of hydraulic structures occurs, such as torrential rain or earthquakes at a specific level or a typhoon, unscheduled inspection will be performed to ensure the safety of hydraulic structures.

The focus of hydraulic structure inspection is subject to the implementation plan of hydraulic structure and pumping station inspection of each year. Pre-inspection education and training are arranged. Actions for defects found in the inspection are classified by status into planned improvement, noted improvement, and immediate improvement to be completed by a time-limit. Every year, the WRA, the competent authority of the central government, will supervise our annual inspection of hydraulic structures and review the inspection results.]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:54:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=6CACD4C6AE2952B0
Sitting in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan, Taipei City is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the Keelung River penetrating the city, the Tamsui River running on the west, the Xindian River flowing in the south, and the Jingmei River bordering New Taipei City in the north. Riverside areas in the city are low-lying areas. As some are even below the average high-water level, facilities including levees, evacuation gates, pumping stations, detention ponds, and stormwater channels are required for flood defense. Currently in Taipei City, there are levees totaling 131km, 36 evacuation gates, 87 pumping stations, 21 temporary pumping stations, 4 detention ponds, and stormwater channels totaling about 540km.

Levees of Different River Systems
Levee construction is the focus of Taipei's overall flood control plan, with river remediation and river management as support measures. Currently, the flood defense standard of rivers in Taipei City varies by river status. These standards include: 200-year return period with freeboard 1.5m for major rivers; 100-year return period with freeboard 1.0m for secondary rivers; and 50-year return period with freeboard 0.8m for tributaries. 109km of the total of 131km of levees have been completed. Levee remediation will be planned along the Zhoumei, Guandu, and Jingmei rivers.

Evacuation Gates
Many people living and working in Taipei may not know that Taipei City and the water are very close. The riverfront sides of Taipei City have nearly been enclosed by tall grey walls. If you want to reach a river, you may need to cross those continuous tall grey walls. Therefore, "Where have all the riverbanks in Taipei gone?" is the most frequently asked question. In fact, the distance from water will not be shortened in the psychological map of Taipei citizens. The evacuation gate is an opening for Taipei citizens to pass through these tall grey walls to the riverbank. In addition, it is an access for the maintenance vehicles of flood control facilities and vehicles to travel across the river and field sides of the levee, in order to provide citizens with sound waterfront space.

However, what are those long grey walls? What are they built for? When typhoon Pamela hit Taiwan in 1961, the Dahan and Xindian rivers surged to flood the city again. In response to the disasters in Taipei City and Taipei County, the Executive Yuan officially formed the "Taipei Area Rivers Flood Control Project Evaluation Task Force" to supervise the provincial government to actively implement the "Tamsui River Remediation and Diversion Project." Later, the "Taipei Area Flood Control Project" was established, and the freeboards of all major rivers and secondary rivers were defined under the project. Later, the TCG raised the height of levees according to this project. These long grey walls are the levees that block river water from inundating the areas where citizens live when the water rises to below the freeboard in a typhoon or rainstorm, in order to prevent citizens from suffering floods. For citizens to enjoy a waterfront life and to provide access for the maintenance vehicles of flood control facilities and vehicles to travel across the river and field sides of the levee, the evacuation gates were built.

​However, when opening a gate on the long grey walls, what else should be done at the same time? What are the types of evacuation gates?

Type: Watertight Door
The watertight door is an auxiliary water-blocking structure for pedestrians and bicycles to travel across the river and field sides of the levee.


Type: Slide Gate
The slide gate is the most common type of evacuate gate. It is an auxiliary water-blocking structure for pedestrians and vehicles to travel across the river and field sides of the levee.

Type: Others
Flight Safety Gate: It is installed atop levees with height being reduced for flight safety. In times of normalcy, the gate is lowered; in times of a rainstorm or typhoon, the gate is raised to maintain a consistent freeboard of the levees.

Levee-Crown Watertight Door: It is an additional water-blocking gate built at the original access after the levee is raised. In times of normalcy, the gate is opened for citizens to travel in and out; in times of a rainstorm or typhoon, the gate is shut to maintain a consistent freeboard of the levees.

Cross-Levee Ramp: It is cross-levee structure built for pedestrians and vehicles to travel across the river and field sides of the levee.

Sitting in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan, Taipei City is located in a subtropical region surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the Keelung River penetrating the city, the Tamsui River running in the west, the Xindian River flowing in the south, and the Jingmei River bordering New Taipei City in the north. Riverside areas in the city are low-lying areas. As some are even below the average high-water level, levees and pumping stations are required for flood defense. In addition, evacuation gates are installed for citizens to enjoy a waterfront life and to provide access for the maintenance vehicles of flood control facilities. When a typhoon or rainstorm comes, the timing for shutting evacuation gates is determined according to the Evacuation Gate Opening and Shutdown SOP to prevent floods from flowing into the city and causing damage to the life and property of citizens.

At the end of the flood prevention period each year, entities immediately perform the flood prevention inspection to check in detail flood prevention facilities within TCG's jurisdiction, including levees, revetments, floodgates and valves, evacuation doors, and pumping stations, to ensure that they are ready for use, and complete related maintenance work to maintain flood prevention and river safety.]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:50:00 GMThttps://english.heo.gov.taipei/News_Content.aspx?n=92511AF02AB35E99&s=3A97A43FE9F3431C]]>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 10:46:00 GMT