A Quality Perspective of Sustainable Management of Water Services: Insights of Citizens' Perceptions in Five Albanian Municipalities

Abstract

This paper aims to explore citizens' perceptions of water services to inform policy-making and pressure service providers to improve efficiency and service quality using innovative solutions. Despite abundant water resource endowments, ongoing infrastructure upgrades, and technological advancements implemented for sustainable service management, the industry failed to deliver the expected results. However, more than 60% of produced water goes unbilled, service coverage disparities persist, service quality falls short of goals, and low water meter readings worsen resource utilisation and financial sustainability. As a result of poor and unsustainable social, environmental, and economic management of services, the industry witnessed a significant restructuring process, shifting from municipal to regional-level governance, overlooking citizen perceptions of water services as an element that may directly impact the sustainability and future developments of the water sector. The latter, coupled with research findings highlighting deficiencies of municipalities in Albania in local public services provision, triggered the in-depth investigation of water sector governance in Albania (from the citizens' point of view). The research sets a baseline in exploring citizens' perceptions of water services, using a representative sample-based survey in five Albanian municipalities and along five dimensions of service management: access and quality of the services, transparency and communication, satisfaction with services, value for money, and willingness to pay (WTP) for improved services. Our findings suggest a low satisfaction with water services offered by municipally-owned water utilities, primarily related to water supply duration and quality. Despite lacking trust in service improvement, WTP for improved services is positive. Received: 15 December 2023 / Accepted: 16 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024