Water Management
Water Resources Governance
Upholding resource conservation, ChipMOS actively supports SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by advancing water efficiency and governance. Executive leadership provides oversight, with dedicated committees reviewing water performance quarterly to ensure alignment with operational goals. We implemented ISO 46001 (Water Efficiency Management Systems) to drive process water recycling and wastewater reduction, optimizing usage and resource efficiency. Additionally, continuous participation in the CDP Water Security questionnaire allows us to proactively manage climate-driven water risks, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable water management through transparency.
Water Resources Risk Management
In response to water resource challenges triggered by climate change, ChipMOS annually utilizes international assessment tools, including the World Resources Institute's (WRI) 'Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas' and ENCORE, to identify water risks across all facilities. Integrated with the ISO 46001 Water Efficiency Management Systems, we analyze the water flows of major sites and comprehensively evaluate key indicators and management information. This allows us to implement preventive controls, effectively reducing the impact of water resource risks on ChipMOS.
Introduced ISO 46001
In 2023, ChipMOS implemented ISO 46001 Water Efficiency Management Systems at our Zhubei and Tainan fabs Note 1. By advancing reclamation technologies, identifying water-saving opportunities, and fostering employee awareness, we boosted water efficiency across manufacturing processes, facility systems, and common areas. Driven by systematic process optimization, our 2025 water management outcomes exceeded expectations, with actual recycling rates at both major facilities surpassing annual targets.
Note: Due to high and complex process water demands, the Zhubei and Tainan fabs were prioritized for ISO 46001 implementation.
Recycling of Process Water
In response to global water scarcity and climate change risks, ChipMOS has shifted from passive management to proactive circulation in our water resource strategy, striving to reduce reliance on raw water sources. We prioritized our Tainan fab, a major water-consuming facility, as the focus of this initiative. Since 2008, we have invested in construction of water reclamation equipment for grinding and dicing processes, successfully expanding these practices to the Zhubei fab in 2023. By utilizing Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane systems to optimize reclamation efficiency, we keep water resources within the production cycle. In 2025, the total volume of process water reclaimed across all fabs reached 1,442 million liters. Over the 18 years since initiating this water recycling program, our cumulative reclaimed water volume has reached 15,341 million liters, equivalent to saving nearly 6,136 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Wastewater Treatment and Discharge
ChipMOS has established professional water treatment and multi-layered monitoring mechanisms tailored to the various types of wastewater discharged from our fabs. Based on the specific characteristics of wastewater pollutants, corresponding treatment procedures are implemented. These are paired with online monitoring systems to track real-time operations and ensure stable equipment performance. At the discharge end, internal audits are conducted by the ESH department, and independent third-party agencies are commissioned for regular testing. In addition to system monitoring, we concurrently conduct environmental education and training for employees. By establishing internal control standards and voluntary management targets, we continuously enhance the stability of our effluent discharge quality.
The ChipMOS Hsinchu, Zhubei Second, Hukou, Tainan Second, and Tainan Third fabs generate no process wastewater. The Hsinchu and Tainan fabs are located within science parks, where wastewater is centrally treated by the parks' wastewater treatment plants before discharge. Similarly, the Hukou fab is located within an industrial zone, with its wastewater processed by the industrial zone's wastewater treatment center prior to discharge. The Zhubei fab also treats its wastewater through an on-site treatment plant to ensure full compliance with effluent standards before discharging it into regulatory-approved receiving water bodies.
Water Resilience Management: Early Warning and Response
ChipMOS has built a comprehensive water management system by integrating big data analytics, global water risk maps, and on-line monitoring systems to track water usage across production sites. To mitigate supply uncertainties from climate change, the Company implements three core initiatives: "Data Monitoring, Early Warning Response, and Water Efficiency Optimization."
In response to the water shortage crisis, the Company has implemented three major contingency measures
ISO 14046 Water Footprint
About water resources management, in addition to saving water and recycling water, we also improve the water resource efficiency of the supply chain through the water footprint check mechanism. Moreover, we conduct a check in accordance with ISO 14046 and undergo third-party verification, in order to improve the reliability of data. Since 2014, ChipMOS has completed the ISO 14046 water footprint verification of its products, and has passed the third-party certification, so as to effectively master the water resource status of production and provide customers with reference. The products that completed their check include: LCD Driver IC (bare crystal flip chip), LCD driver IC (COF), 8 "and 12" au bumped wafer, ball grid array package (BGA), quad flat non-lead package (QFN), etc.