It’s October, but the Sun still hammers down, boiling hot. The Earth hasn’t shifted fast enough on its axis for me. We’re still too close to the Sun. Heat radiates from the cast iron black asphalt.
I’m pushing bike pedals hard while climbing up Ningyuan Lane. I’m trying to reach the ridge road that runs along the top of the set of Dakeng hills closest to my house. There are no more easy gears on my bicycle.
Dakeng is a series of hills east of Taichung and running north-south. My hill group is the highest, with the steepest roads. In the trees around me, cicadas and birds howl and chirp me on. I finally reach the ridge, teetering back and forth across the road on the most arduous incline. My heart and breathing begin to slow, but I’m parched and waterless. There is no 7-11 for miles.
My empty water bottles rattle in their cages. All I see are scattered houses, hiking trailheads numbers three and four and thick jungle. My tongue and throat are fuzzy-dry with thirst. I look longingly at the skinny creeks. I’m woozy and may need to fight tiny freshwater crabs for a sip of water. Vultures must be circling.
But wait! A stainless steel rectangular oasis sparkles in the near distance. A kind soul has set up a water dispensing machine next to the road beside their garage for thirsty hikers and cyclists. Extra glasses are stacked on top. I roll up to the watering hole in relief.
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| My oasis - with sink & soap for washing up |
The ubiquitous filtered water dispensing machines of Taiwan. Armies of these commonsense contraptions fill all government buildings, offices, schools, businesses, shopping centres and other establishments. The devices are connected to main water lines so they never go dry. There is even a Taiwan Drinking Water Equipment Association.
East Asia must have at least hundreds of thousands of them. They usually dispense hot, warm and cold water. But many people in Asian culture believe cold water is too harsh for the body.
In Taiwan, each day, millions of workers, school children and shoppers refill their reusable plastic water bottles or metal thermos, saving tons of single-use plastic waste.
Some public water machines have stacks of tiny paper bags or envelopes for cups. A puff of breath opens the four-ounce bag, and you carefully fill it for a quick drink. Public libraries provide kitchen areas near water machines so students can make noodles, congee or oatmeal while studying.
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The prevalence of Taiwan’s water dispensing machines may be, in part, connected to differing opinions over the drinkability of the country’s water. Taiwan’s water is drinkable when it is released from treatment plants. It is chlorinated and clean. The disagreement begins shortly after. The Taiwan Water Corporation (TWC) says there may be contamination on the way to and after delivery to homes because of leaky pipes. “A huge number of leaking pipes in Taiwan result from the frequent earthquakes, underground construction, and too much traffic,” said TWC President Hu Nan-tzer (胡南澤) in a 2019 article in Taiwan News. Up to six million cubic metres of leaking water is lost. In addition, large water storage tanks used in homes, residential buildings and other buildings can become breeding grounds for bacteria if not appropriately maintained.
The local population is also concerned with old pipes and heavy metal contamination. So most people take no chances. People install under-the-sink filtration systems, collect filtered water from street dispensing stations and rely on bottled water to a lesser degree.
All the above I learned later. But that day, I joyously chugged water and refilled my bottles. On that sweltering weekend day, a woman walked out of the house, pail in hand, going about her chores. I thanked her for her water machine. She smiled back, said, “you are welcome,” and continued to the garage. I was tanked up and was on my way. The creek crabs left undisturbed.
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