Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment Advances Digital Transformation of Wastewater Management

On 17 September 2025, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment (MoENV) announces draft amendments to the Regulations Governing Water Pollution Prevention Measures and Testing Reporting Management. To strengthen water quality protection,  The revision emphasizes digitalized monitoring, stricter accountability for operators, and enhanced transparency to prevent data falsification.

Key amendments include:

1. Data-driven and Smart Management
   Enterprises or sewerage systems with permitted daily discharge volumes of 10,000 tons or more will be required to install independent electronic meters and automatic water quality/quantity monitoring devices at critical points of their wastewater treatment facilities. Monitoring data must be directly transmitted to authorities, shifting management from passive inspection to proactive oversight.

2. Stricter Responsibility for Operators and Service Providers
   A new definition for “automatic monitoring service agencies” has been introduced. Enterprises or sewerage systems must register their contracted service providers. If falsified data is detected and confirmed during the contract period, the responsible agency’s name will be publicly disclosed and the enterprise will be required to change service providers.

3. Direct Data Transmission to Prevent Fraud
   Improvements to the automatic monitoring and data transmission system include standardized communication formats and direct transfer of raw monitoring data. This ensures reliability and integrity of reported information.

The Ministry stated that these changes will strengthen deterrence against illegal pollution and create a fairer compliance environment for law-abiding enterprises.

Relevance to Chemical Regulation and Compliance
For industries handling chemical substances, the revised wastewater monitoring rules increase compliance obligations related to pollutant discharge. Chemical manufacturers and downstream users must ensure that their wastewater treatment processes meet legal discharge limits and that all monitoring data is accurate and digitally traceable. These measures align with broader regulatory trends emphasizing transparency, environmental accountability, and stricter enforcement of pollutant management.

The draft amendments are open for public comment within 60 days of announcement.