Plum rain keeps further water restrictions at bay By Angelica Oung / Staff reporter Last weekend’s plum rain came just in time to stave off further water restrictions, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Hsinchu County was about to enter a “red alert” today if the precipitation over the past few days had not exceeded the 100mm mark, while Miaoli County, Taichung and northern Changhua County, still under the alert, would have faced even tighter restrictions. For areas under a red alert, weekly water supplies to households and businesses are on for five days and off for two. Recreational boats are moored on Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan yesterday. The rainfall over the past few days is expected to bring 23 million tonnes of water to the reservoir, which could fulfill another 18 days of water demand in Taoyuan, the Northern Region Water Resources Office said yesterday.