NTU's Water Discharge Guidelines and Standards
National Taiwan University (NTU) has established comprehensive, binding water discharge guidelines and standards to uphold water quality, protect ecosystems, safeguard wildlife, and secure human health. The institutional framework seamlessly integrates land-based campus wastewater management, hazardous chemical isolation, and ocean-based research vessel zero-discharge policies.
NTU has implemented Stringent Wastewater Discharge Standards (encompassing 28 parameters) and established a comprehensive wastewater discharge system, including pipelines and pH adjustment tanks, to safeguard water quality and protect the ecosystem. Continuous monitoring ensures real-time tracking of wastewater conditions. In 2025, the turbidity, residual chlorine, and pH levels at the nearest water quality monitoring station were measured at approximately 0.02 NTU, 0.61 mg/L, and pH 7.4, respectively, all well within regulatory limits.
Furthermore, NTU has incorporated a rainwater harvesting system requirement into the "NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY Principles for Water Resource Management and Reuse" (Article 4), effective from 2024, to promote water conservation and reuse.
To protect marine ecosystems, NTU has established a "Management Guidelines for Research Vessels" with a specific provision (Article 12) mandating that all experimental waste must be brought back to shore upon completion of each voyage, preventing any discharge into the ocean.
Collectively, these binding regulations ensure that NTU's water discharges — whether from campus buildings, laboratories, or research vessels — comply with quality standards designed to protect ecosystems, wildlife, and human health and welfare, both on land and at sea.
Campus Wastewater & Effluent Quality Standards
REGULATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF EFFLUENT DISCHARGED BY BUILDINGS AND LABORATORIES
（In placed since 2014）
Absolutely prohibits the discharge of untreated toxic or liquid experimental waste. Hazardous chemical effluents are isolated, neutralized, and disposed of via certified off-site agencies.
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【Article 1】 National Taiwan University establishes the "National Taiwan University Regulations for Wastewater Management in Buildings and Experimental Places" to effectively manage wastewater discharged from buildings and experimental places, and to ensure that the discharged wastewater meets the sewer connection standards set by the Sewerage Systems Office of the Taipei City Government.
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【Article 2】The scope of application of the Regulations is limited to the University's campuses, buildings, and experimental places located in Taipei City that have been connected to the public sewerage system.
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【Article 3】 The Center for Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety and Health (hereinafter referred to as "CEPOSH") of the University may set up wastewater pH monitoring and adjustment tanks at appropriate locations within the University, and conduct unscheduled, unannounced monitoring of effluent at various buildings. The maintenance and management of relevant monitoring equipment shall be the responsibility of CEPOSH, which may also commission certified testing agencies to conduct wastewater sampling and analysis.
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【Article 4】 If improper operation, arbitrary dumping of liquid waste, discharge of wastewater exceeding control standards, or failure to treat wastewater in accordance with regulations is suspected in any building or experimental place, the building or experimental place shall make immediate improvements. Its affiliated first-level and second-level units shall bear the responsibility of supervising such improvements. CEPOSH shall execute relevant matters in accordance with the University's Guidelines for Handling Violations of EHS Regulations by Experimental Places and Other Units.
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【Article 5】 When conducting wastewater sampling and testing for buildings and experimental places, CEPOSH shall do so jointly with personnel from the experimental place, or the safety officer/EHS manager of the unit. The unit shall not refuse or boycott the process. If a building or experimental place has an objection to the wastewater test results, it may simultaneously take a sample and send it to a certified testing agency for analysis at its own expense.
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【Article 6】 The wastewater quality control standards for discharges from each building under the Regulations shall comply with the Acceptable Standards for Sewerage Discharges set by Taipei City.
NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY Principles for Water Resource Management and Reuse (in placed since 2024)
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【Article 4 】Water Recycling and Reuse
1. Encourage installation of rainwater harvesting or gray water reclamation systems in existing buildings.
2. Require the installation of rainwater harvesting systems in newly constructed buildings.
3. In response to recent global climate change and extreme weather events, new construction projects and road improvement projects must take into consideration stormwater management, rainwater harvesting and reuse, as well as increasing permeable pavements.
Quality Standards for Sewage That May Be Discharged Into Taipei City’s Sewerage System (Encompassing 28 Parameters) (in placed since 2020)
1. Water temperature: 45 °C
2. Hydrogen ion concentration: pH 5 to pH 9
3. Sulfide (calculated by S 2 --): 90 mg/L
4. Biochemical oxygen demand (5 days at 20 °C): 600 mg/L
5. Chemical oxygen demand: 1,200 mg/L
6. Suspended solids: 600 mg/L
7. Mineral oil: 10 mg/L
8. Animal and plant based oils: 30 mg/L
9. Phenols: 5 mg/L
10. Cyanide: 2 mg/L
11. Total mercury (Hg) content: 0.05 mg/L
12. Total phosphorus (P) content: 20 mg/L
13. Cadmium (Cd): 1 mg/L
14. Lead (Pb): 1 mg/L
15. Total chromium (Cr) content: 2 mg/L
16. Hexavalent chromium (CrVI): 0.6 mg/L
17. Arsenic (As): 0.6 mg/L
18. Copper (Cu): 13 mg/L
19. Zinc (Zn): 65 mg/L
20. Iron (soluble): 10 mg/L
21. Manganese (soluble): 10 mg/L
22. Nickel (Ni): 10 mg/L
23. Silver (Ag): 2 mg/L
24. Anionic surfactants: 80 mg/L
25. Boron (B): 10 mg/L
26. Selenium (Se): 5 mg/L
27. Fluoride salt: 150 mg/L
28. Ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3 N): 50 mg/L
To further ensure compliance with the discharge standards , pH adjustment tanks have been installed at the terminal of the campus wastewater system. Regular monitoring is conducted for 18 buildings on the main campus where chemical experiments take place, measuring parameters such as pH levels and conductivity to track discharge quality in real time. Additionally, accredited external agencies are commissioned annually to collect and analyze samples at each monitoring point to verify that wastewater discharges meet all relevant regulatory standards.
Management Guidelines for Research Vessels (in placed since 2022)
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【Article 12】Syringes, needles, and laboratory waste (such as reagent bottles, sample bottles, and laboratory gloves) used in experiments must not be mixed with general household waste. All experimental waste liquids and related waste must be brought back to the original laboratory by the research team at the end of the voyage and disposed of in accordance with relevant regulations. The ship will not handle any experimental waste.
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【Article 13】 Upon completion of the voyage, the chief technician must ensure that the work area is thoroughly cleaned. The research team is responsible for collecting and transporting all experimental waste and waste liquids. All research team members must leave the ship only after confirming that no experimental items have been left on board.
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All regulations and monitoring data cited above are publicly accessible without institutional login, hosted on NTU's official environmental health and safety (ESH), water resources, and oceanography research websites.
