The Environmental Protection Bureau has established future utilization goals for various sections of the river (see map), such as irrigation, recreation, and public use... but the most practical short-term aim is--stopping the river from smelling during the summer within four years.
這條河扮演的不只是浪漫、泛舟或休閒、娛樂的角色，在衛生署環保局的整治計畫中，就定出了未來河段分類目標（見圖表），那裡做為供水、灌溉之用，那裡是生態保護區、遊憩區… …，而最實際的近期目標是：四年後，淡水河在夏天不再發臭。