A composite indicator index as a proxy for measuring the quality of water supply as perceived by users for urban water services

Palomero-González José Antonio,Almenar-Llongo Vicent,Fuentes-Pascual Ramón

doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121300

Abstract

• Development of a composite indicator to measure the quality of water supply based on variables that are considered to affect users' perceptions of the quality of water supply. • A CI that includes relevant aspects that determine users' perceptions of water supply quality. • A new CI application, using MCDA with common DEA weights, to calculate a proxy for water supply service quality. • A CI that combines economic, technical and service quality variables, as they may be perceived by users, into a single indicator for water managers. The objective of this study is to develop a composite indicator (CI) to measure the quality of water supply based on the variables that are considered to affect users’ perceptions of water supply quality. The proposed CI includes six relevant aspects that determine users’ perceptions of water supply quality (network quality, water quality, water price, complaints, inconvenience caused by upgrading the network, and continuity of service) in a simple, economical, and objective way, using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) with weights based on data envelopment analysis (DEA). The CI was applied to 32 municipalities in the metropolitan area of Valencia (Spain). The results show the high quality of the water supply service in this area. The use of this CI to measure the quality of the water supply service may prove useful for public institutions and managers of urban water supply, giving them an instrument to improve the management, efficiency, and quality of the water services they provide.

Highlights

According to the United Nations, water is “a limited natural resource and a public good fundamental for life and health”, while “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of the right to life and all human rights” (United Nations General Assembly, 2010) such as health, food, and hygiene
The results are composite indicator (CI) ob tained by applying the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)-data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to the six variables across the 32 municipalities in the sample
The objective and main contribution of this article is the design of a CI to measure the quality of the water supply based on the variables that are considered to affect users’ perceptions of the quality of water supply services in a simple, objective, and economical way

Summary

Introduction

According to the United Nations, water is “a limited natural resource and a public good fundamental for life and health”, while “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of the right to life and all human rights” (United Nations General Assembly, 2010) such as health, food, and hygiene For this reason, in 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the right to water and sanitation as a human right (Salman, 2014) within the economic, social, and cultural rights category. Quality of life can refer to both the specific attributes of people (such as health and education) and the conditions of the envi ronment to which they relate, including the provision of public service infrastructures (Reig, 2015). The phase prior to water abstraction and the phase of sanitation and wastewater treatment to return the water to the envi ronment are not the subject of this study

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Conclusion