Inter-Utility Performance Benchmarking Model for Small-to-Medium-Sized Water Utilities: Aggregated Performance Indices

Abstract

AbstractAbout 95% of the water supply systems in Canada are being operated by small-to-medium-sized water utilities (SMWU) serving populations less than 50,000. The representation of these utilities in National Water and Wastewater Benchmarking Initiative (NWWBI) is almost negligible due to less awareness, issues related to data availability, and financial constraints. In the present work, an inter-utility performance benchmarking model (IU-PBM) is developed, which entails consideration of 47 performance indicators (PIs) for different functional components of SMWU, such as water resources and environment, personnel, physical assets, quality of service, water quality and public health, and financial aspects. For performance benchmarking, 47 (linear, exponential, logarithmic, and polynomial) transformation functions have been established to translate the calculated PIs into performance levels between 10 and 100, which is based on literature, NWWBI reports, and expert judgment. The weights are estimated usin...