馴化水，也要馴化人：臺北市自來水生飲計畫的面子工程與技術展演

Domesticating Water, Domesticating Persons: The Facesaving Project and Technological Performance of Tapwater Drinking Programs in Taipei

本文探討臺北市自來水生飲計畫如何於落後焦慮脈絡中，形成彰顯城市進步的面子工程與技術展演。生飲涉及兩種技術場域：技術專家主導且黑箱化的幕後工程與技術實作，以及鑲嵌於都市政治的面子工程與技術展演。1960年代，臺北自來水事業處宣稱自來水已達生飲標準，但混濁水質遭市民質疑，官方則以家戶端配水管不符標準回應。1980年代，生飲計畫再次啟動，以學校及觀光飯店等彰顯國家門面場所為主。該計畫著重汰換使用端管線設備，通過用戶端輔導工作以塑造進步飲水主體，並將生飲更名「安全用水」，但市民依然缺乏信心。自來水系統大幅升級後的1990年代晚期，市府於公共場所設置「直飲台」，並以數據化水質監測展現可靠形象，但民眾基於衛生和口味習慣，仍普遍裝設過濾裝置。作者主張，生飲計畫的曲折顯示馴化人與馴化水必須同時進展，而水也可能於馴化後再度野化，體現了文明淨化的焦慮與信賴的物質面向。 This paper explores the tap-water drinking programs of the Taipei Cityand argues that they acted as face-saving project in a “latecomer anxiety”atmosphere and need technological performances to ensure trust from citizens.In the 1960s, the Taipei Water Department claimed that the tap-water inTaipei already reached potable water standards, but the turbidity of water wasnot convincing. In responding to the public’s questioning, the Departmentmaintained that the water was turbid because the end-users had installedinadequate pipes. In the 1980s, the government again initiated the project,and made those sites featuring the face of the nation as their targets, such asschools and tourist hotels. At this stage the government highlighted the needsof replacing pipes directly linked to the end-users, and through counselingprograms it aimed to cultivate the citizens as advanced drinking subjects.Tap-water drinking was also renamed as “secure drinking” given this context.Despite all the efforts, citizens still lacked confidence in the quality of thewater. During the late-1990s, when the piped water system had been greatlyimproved, the government began setting up “purifier water supply machines”in public places. It also tried to demonstrate the reliability of the water bypublicizing the water quality statistics. Yet given the public’s concerns withhygiene and personal tastes, people still use filter device before drinking tapwater.The authors argue that the case of tap-water drinking programs suggeststhat domestication of humans and water have to be carried out simultaneously;especially when water tends to become wild again even after domestication,the material aspect constituting the anxiety and reliability during the course ofcivilizing purification is made obvious.