The Ministry of Environment of the Executive Yuan revised the "Regulations Governing the Collection of Water Pollution Control Fees for Enterprises and Wastewater Sewer Systems" on March 31 of this year. The key points of the amendments are summarized as follows: 1. Adjustment of the fee rates for hazardous substances. 2. Inclusion of ammonia, zinc, and tin as chargeable items for the first time. 3. Introduction of offset measures for investments in resource recovery facilities. 4. Implementation of convenience service measures such as installment payments.

According to the Department of Water Quality Protection of the Ministry of Environment, the water pollution control fee rates have not been adjusted since their introduction in 2015. Since rates lower than the actual treatment costs are unlikely to serve as an effective economic incentive for polluters to reduce emissions, Article 5 of the amended regulations reasonably adjusted the rates for seven heavy metals (lead, nickel, copper, total mercury, cadmium, total chromium, and arsenic) commonly found in certain industry wastewater, as well as cyanide, to better reflect the “polluter pays” principle. In addition, considering that certain industrial clusters are concentrated sources of pollution that can easily discharge into water bodies and severely affect river water quality and aquatic life, the revised regulations add zinc and tin as new chargeable items. Ammonia nitrogen, which contributes to eutrophication, increases water toxicity, and affects ecosystems and water use, has also been added as a chargeable item.

To mitigate the impact of these amendments on enterprises, in addition to the introduction of buffer measures such as phased annual reductions in Article 6, Article 16 introduces a fee reduction mechanism. If a fee-paying entity installs wastewater pre-treatment or treatment facilities with verified resource recovery benefits, and operates them for over three years after approval, it may apply to the competent authority for a fee reduction. This aims to encourage investment in sustainable infrastructure and promote green industrial transformation.

These amendments will significantly impact discharge sources such as the sewer systems in industrial parks, science parks, wafer and semiconductor manufacturers, power plants, printed circuit board manufacturers, and electroplating industries. Affected businesses are advised to proactively plan and deploy response strategies while making full use of available incentives.

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References:

https://db.lawbank.com.tw/FLAW/FLAWCOMPARE.aspx?lsid=FL040165

https://enews.moenv.gov.tw/Page/3B3C62C78849F32F/25add331-5c11-4ca6-92e4-61d78c2c193e