Water Pricing Research Articles

The circular economy of water across the six continents.

Water is our most valuable and precious resource, yet it is only available in a limited amount. Sustainable use of water can therefore only operate in a circular way; nonetheless, still today depletion of water resources proceeds at an accelerated pace. Here, we quantitatively assess the water circular economy and the status of water management across 132 countries distributed over six continents by introducing the water circular economy index, WCEI, based on the three pillars of water circular economy, i.e., decreasing, optimising, and retaining. This index relies on eight indicators such as water stress, tap water price, water use efficiency, the degree of water resource management, proportion of safely treated wastewater, population with access to safe drinking water, drinking water quality, and surface water changes in hydrological basins. It allows ranking 132 countries, and most importantly to identify criticalities and bottlenecks in the sustainable use of water resources across the six continents, pointing at possible directions and actions towards a fully circular economy of water.

Uji Kandungan Bakteriologi Air Minum Isi Ulang di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Siko Kota Ternate

The rise of the Refill Drinking Water business is inseparable from the increasingly expensive of Ternate have water samples containing E coli bacteria. This can be caused by water price of Bottled Drinking Water. The aim of this research is to identify the E coli content in drinking water depots in the city of Ternate. This research used a descriptive research design using observational methods and laboratory tests and was carried out in the chemistry laboratory and workshop of the Environmental Health Department, Health Polytechnic, Ministry of Health, Ternate. The sample in this study was drinking water refills at 23 depots, by taking 300 cc of water samples. The results of the research showed that of the 23 drinking water depots examined, 7 samples contained E Coli bacteria. Of these, two are in Dufa-Dufa, two more depots are in Akehuda and the rest are located in Salero, Kasturian and SOA. The conclusion is that as many as 41% of all drinking water depots in the city reservoirs that are rarely cleaned, which can give rise to mold which can trigger the growth of bacteria, one of which is E coli. It is recommended that a thorough inspection of drinking water depots in Ternate City be carried out both by subsequent researchers and city officials.

The Operational Management Model for the Provision of Rural Drinking Water in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province

For the problems of "emphasizing construction over management" and the lack of long-term management mechanism of rural drinking water projects in China, this paper investigated and analyzed the management mode of rural water supply projects in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, and summarized the project operation and management experience from the aspects of project construction, water quality assurance, water price pricing and water fee collection, "digital" platform construction, supervision and management. It provides case experience for the construction plan, operation and implementation management of village and town water supply projects in other cities and regions,which would be beneficial for studying the long-term operation management mechanism of rural drinking water safety projects in China.

Alternative pricing for irrigation water management in the context of climate change

Abstract Irrigation water pricing is an economic regulation instrument widely used in agriculture. Constant annual pricing is always criticized by local decision-makers as well as scientific researchers because it does not take into account the seasonal availability of water in the context of climate change. This study proposes a mathematical programming model to test alternative seasonal pricing scenarios in the context of climate change. This model is applied at farm level in the Kalâa Kebira region of East-Central Tunisia. The results show that summer seasonal pricing was economically beneficial for large farms, while winter pricing was beneficial for small and average farms. Water savings were only possible for small farms using 89% of available water in summer and for average farms using 93% of available water in winter. On the other hand, the sensitivity test proved that when water demand is elastic, increasing seasonal pricing of irrigation water by a rate between 20 and 30% generates water savings for different types of farms. This seasonal water saving is also accompanied by optimal use of agricultural labor and diversity of cultivated areas.

Spatiotemporal Variability and Impact Factors of Domestic Water Prices in China

Given China’s status as one of the most water-scarce countries globally, its rapid development of urbanization and sustained economic growth have led to increasing pressure on the urban water supply. Water pricing is also receiving increasing attention as an important tool for water resource management. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal characteristics of domestic water prices in China and their drivers. To this end, domestic water price data from 285 cities in China were collected. Spatial statistical analysis and geodetector were used to examine the spatial distribution and temporal patterns of domestic water prices from 2007 to 2020, as well as to identify the primary factors influencing these prices. The following results are noted: (1) The national average domestic water price has increased from 2 RMB/m3 to 3.12 RMB/m3, where the northeast and eastern regions have higher prices than the national average, while the central and western regions have lower prices. (2) The spatial distribution of urban domestic water prices presents clear differences characteristic of north–south and spatial agglomeration effects; the high-value area of domestic water prices is mainly concentrated in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei. (3) On a national and regional scale, the price of domestic water is closely related to economic development, water resources, and resident’s income level. Furthermore, this study revealed that the interaction between pairwise factors played a more significant role in influencing domestic water prices compared with the individual impact of each factor. This finding contributes to a deeper understanding of the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in domestic water pricing and offers valuable insights and guidance for water pricing reform in China.

Water and emission constrained generation expansion planning for Iran power system

This paper analyzes the impact of water and emission limitations on expansion planning of thermal power plants (TPPs), in Iran. TPPs need considerable amount of water for their cooling system. In Iran, water crisis of recent years has made it impossible to operate existing steam power plants in some areas, during summer season. This paper considers water availability and cost in generation expansion planning (GEP) of Iran. There are different types of water resources such as rivers, dams, treated wastewater, seawater, seawater transmission line, saline groundwater, and groundwater. Considering available capacity of water resources in each area and sorting their extraction cost in ascending order, some water consumption cost curves are derived. For this purpose, data of about 200 water resources located in different regions of Iran are analyzed. Provided GEP model includes a 15-years planning horizon and analyzes several scenarios of water availability. Although, in low water price scenarios, air temperature and height above sea level have more impact on placement of TPPs, it is different for high water price scenarios. Also, the effect of emission-related policies on GEP decisions is analyzed by considering various fuel types of TPPs, penalties for emissions, and global restrictions on greenhouse gas production.

Management of surface flow allocation in rice cultivation by maximization of water use and economic efficiency

Abstract The multi-objective genetic algorithm was used as a decision variable to estimate the water required for irrigation in each of the growth stages. Agricultural costs and product sales prices in the agricultural year 2017–2023 in Luoyang Plain and its surrounding areas were collected for this purpose. Optimal irrigation strategies according to different water price scenarios were considered to calculate water use efficiency and net profit. In the conditions of optimal distribution, the amount of allocated water was 7,809, 2,928, 3,904, and 1,789 m3/ha for the stages of vegetative growth, flowering, crop formation, and ripening by the proposed model. On the other hand, it is necessary to reduce water stress in the periods of clustering and seed filling to increase crop yield and net income, as well as to achieve the desired irrigation schedule. Effective rainfall, especially in the ripening stage of the crop, can be considered to determine the optimal volume of water harvesting from the river. In addition, the results showed that by reducing the amount of available water, the water model allocated to leaf greening and tillering stages decreases.

Economic Analysis under the Water Framework Directive: The State of the Art and Way forward

Linking the improvement of water ecosystems to the use of economic concepts and instruments is one of the main innovations introduced by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). This should be achieved by Member States through an approach clearly linking measures and interventions to improve water ecosystems to the identified pressures on water bodies (i.e., the gap analysis) and a set of economic provisions. However, modest progress in the implementation of these provisions has been recorded over time. Therefore, this paper aims to shed new light on the current limits in the implementation of the economic analysis of the WFD, in particular in relation to the gap analysis, through a comprehensive review of grey and scientific literature on the topics of gap analysis, economic valuation of ecosystem goods and services, water pricing, and disproportionate costs of measures. General conclusions and recommendations of this analysis are that enhancing data quality, promoting consistency and interaction in economic analysis components, and embedding them pragmatically in decision-making procedures are crucial. The gap analysis plays a pivotal role in directing economic research towards relevant issues within the river basin and in guiding decision makers more effectively in the application of the economic analyses required by the WFD.

Study on the Optimal Allocation of Water Resources Based on the Perspective of Water Rights Trading

Water rights trading plays an important role in the market mechanism to optimize the allocation of water resources. This study takes Luxian county of Sichuan province as the research area. Based on the prediction of water supply and demand, this study aims to achieve minimum water shortage and maximum economic benefits for regional water distribution, and introduces a water-saving reward and water price punishment mechanism to construct a two-layer collaborative regulation model of water rights trading for water users. The self-improved elite strategy and cogenetic algorithm (NSGA II-S) are used to solve the optimization model, and the optimal allocation of water resources and water rights trading in different towns in the planning year (2025 and 2030) under different flat and dry scenarios is studied. The results show that there would be an obvious problem in the uneven distribution of water resources between supply and demand in 2025 and 2030. The overall water shortage rates in the flat and dry scenario areas in 2025 are 13.71% and 31.99%, respectively, and the overall water shortage rates in the flat and dry scenario areas in 2030 are 11.55% and 31.94%, respectively. Water rights trading can increase the economic benefit value, with the economic benefit increasing by an average of CNY 614 million in all scenarios, an average increase of 8.68%. The research results could be helpful in alleviating the contradiction between the supply and demand of regional water resources and provide a theoretical basis for optimizing water resource allocation by means of water rights trading in the region.

Oasis sustainability is related to water supply mode

Oasis development relies on water supply and the supply mode can be divided into artesian piloting water (APW) mode and high-lift pumping water (HPW) mode. APW mode relies on gravity to retain and intercept water. HPW mode uses cascade pumping irrigation projects to transport water by up to 470 m, mainly serving extremely arid areas. A comprehensive analysis of the water-energy-food-ecology (WEFE) nexus to optimize water use management is conducive to the sustainable development of an oasis. Due to differences in water supply difficulty and cost, there are significant differences in socioeconomic development, water management, and drought adaptation between the APW and HPW oases. Taking the APW and HPW regions of Ningxia in the Yellow River Basin as the study areas, this study constructed a Bayesian network (BN) to quantify the causality and uncertainty in the WEFE nexus to analyze the development status and the evolving characteristics of the human-water relationships of the two regions. Scenario simulation based on BN quantified the impact and difference of management measures on the WEFE nexus in the two regions. During 2000–2020, as the APW region developed, agricultural water use decreased by 36%, showing great water-saving potential, while the development of the HPW region experienced water shortages. Excessive and inefficient agricultural water use is the main factor affecting the sustainability in both regions. Improving irrigation coefficient is the most effective way to reduce agricultural water use, and there is still a large adjustment space in agricultural water prices, channel lining rates and drip irrigation popularization areas to improve this coefficient. The adjustment of the planting structure will have great water-saving potential in the APW region, such as reducing rice area to 20,000 ha will save 5 × 108 m3 of water, but the potential is limited in the HPW area dominated by drought-resistant crops. In addition, improving wastewater treatment and ecological water use will effectively improve surface water quality and the ecological environment in the APW and HPW regions.

Utilization of treated municipal effluent for irrigating agricultural land in Palestine: The driving factors and existing practices

This article investigates the motivations and practices of using treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate crop fields in Jenin, Palestine. Around 40 farmers were surveyed for data collection. The results showed that 66% of the farmers grew alfalfa crops while 30% grew fruit trees. The main obstacles the farmers faced before starting to use TWW were disgust (68.2%), worries about the quality of TWW (68.2%), health concerns (63.6%), and concerns about adverse effects on the soil (63.6%). All interviewed farmers considered the establishing and funding of an irrigation project to be the cornerstone for any reuse project. The second most important driving factor was the price of TWW that is 10–25% of the fresh water prices. After reusing TWW for irrigation, 59% of the farmers did not use any fertilizer, but they were not sufficiently aware of the crops’ water needs, nor the nutrients in the TWW. All the fodder-growing farmers abstained from selling their crops before drying. The farmers used the TWW for five to nine months annually. After the TWW was reused, the main positive impacts of the TWW reuse were increased crop yields (77.3%), crops quality (50.0%), and crops marketing (47.7%). On the other hand, the main negative impacts were blocking of the irrigation systems (77.3%) and release of odors (54.5%). After practicing TWW use in crops irrigation, the key factors contributed to the “no difference” index were the effects on human health (100%), soil quality (56.8%), and insects spread (54.5%). Therefore, the results of the study support the decision makers to implement TWW reuse policies for crop irrigation in arid regions with scarce water resources. Monitoring TWW reuse and training farmers and helping them overcome obstacles is essential.

Mental health and socio-psychological manifestations of cyclone-induced water insecurity in the Indian Sundarban delta

Advancements in early warning, efficient evacuation, and previous experience with cyclones have largely restricted disaster casualties in the Sundarban delta in India and Bangladesh. Despite the limited loss of life, post-cyclone soil, inland water salinity, and loss of agriculture productivity remain among the impeding factors affecting people's lives. Two severe cyclones, cyclone Amphan, which hit on May 20, 2020, and cyclone Yaas, which hit the delta on May 28, 2021, caused significant damage to the life and livelihood of the local people. In this paper, we inquired into the mental health and socio-psychological aspects of cyclone Amphan and Yaas-induced water insecurity in the Indian Sundarban delta using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The empirically derived data from Focus Group Discussions (N = 17; Number of participants = 157) and household surveys (N = 121) were subjected to various qualitative and quantitative analyses to understand the key determinants of post-cyclone water-induced mental health and well-being. Results suggest varying levels of stress and anxiety among the respondents, which include indecisiveness, general anxiety, fear of waterlessness, irritation, loss of self-esteem, and multiple other mental health issues. The FGD participants pointed out the severe impacts of the cyclones including increased seawater inundation, salinization of agricultural lands, flooding of the freshwater sources and increased water prices. Among all these impacts, seawater inundation and salinization of water and soil have the most long-lasting impact on the life and livelihood of local people. In the quantitative analysis, we observed that the perceived lack of fresh water, including both quality and quantity, alongside, the experience of water-borne diseases, loss of social relations, and loss of livelihood are the key determinants of the self-reported emotional stress of the respondents. In the lieu of existing knowledge gap on disaster-induced water insecurity and its impact on the mental health of affected people, the present research findings emphasize the need for resilient water structures on one side and socio-psychological counselling at the community level on the other side to ensure a sound recovery of the damaged resources as well as make the community a part of the recovery process that can improve their mental health.

Cape Town residents’ willingness to pay for a secure and ‘green’ water supply

The City of Cape Town experienced a serious drought between 2016 and 2018 which led to severe water shortages and concerns for the environment. This study took advantage of a period of unprecedented levels of awareness about water security in order to investigate households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for reliable water supply and their WTP to avoid environmental damages in securing this supply. Increasing the supply of water from dams and groundwater will ultimately impact on aquatic ecosystems, but alternatives are more expensive. We surveyed 248 households from 105 suburbs and used contingent valuation methods to investigate WTP for both secure and less damaging or ‘greener’ ways of supplying water. Depending on income level, households were willing to pay 63–127% more for their normal levels of consumption in order to have security of supply, and a further 35–68% more to ensure its environmental sustainability. Based on the relationship between WTP for 7 income categories, the overall WTP for secure water supply under non-drought conditions amounted to some 2.8 billion ZAR/year, which is about 90% higher than pre-drought revenues. Aggregate WTP for securing this supply using options that ensured the protection of the region’s rivers and estuaries was 3.3 billion ZAR. These results have an important bearing on water investment and pricing decisions over the longer term.

Utilizing a combined Delphi-FAHP-TOPSIS technique to assess the effectiveness of the water supply service in Algeria

The sustainable management of drinking water supply services (WSS) is essential to ensure continuous supply to all citizens. In this paper, a combined approach between the Delphi method and two Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods has been developed to assess the performance of WSS. The suggested methodology is composed of three phases divided into twenty-one steps. The first phase is the application of the Delphi method to select the evaluation criteria and the alternatives based on the responses of a group of experts. A total of 12 criteria and 6 alternatives are identified from past studies and expert opinions. The second phase is the use of the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) method to calculate the relative weights of the criteria. Then, Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to rank the alternatives according to their performance. Finally, an application of the developed framework was established for a case study of Souk-Ahras city (Algeria). The results from FAHP indicate that the financial autonomy and the technical performance criteria are of paramount importance WSS performance evaluation with weights (19.5%) and (19%) respectively. The two alternatives (reduced water loss and water price reform) are the best solutions to have a sustainable WSS. This study presents an effective decision support tool allowing decision makers and WSS managers to better assess performance criteria and the best alternatives.

Thirst for Knowledge: Exploring Dubai's Water Quality through a Public Health Lens

The current study aimed to evaluate the biochemical quality of both bottled water and tap water in the Emirate of Dubai. A total of sixty samples were collected (6 Brand x 10 samples each), while an additional 10 samples were taken from the tap water source. The analysis results were then compared to international standards established by IBWA, FDA, USEPA, WHO, and Abu Dhabi's specific standards. The objective was to identify any potential risks or hazards to public health arising from chemical or biological contaminants in the water. The study assessed various parameters, including total alkalinity, total hardness, and heavy metals, all of which were found to fall within international limits. Microbial content was also analyzed and compared to various standards. The results of this analysis demonstrated that the water's composition met the international norms for safe drinking water. To investigate the impact of different sodium concentrations on blood tonicity, a qualitative microscopic assessment was employed. The results revealed that sodium concentrations exceeding 3mg/L rendered the cells hypertonic. Any further increase in sodium concentration beyond this level directly correlated with increased cell hypertonicity. However, further research is required to delve into other critical aspects of water consumption in the UAE, such as public attitudes toward water and the influence of water pricing on residents' purchasing choices. Public awareness campaigns are essential to rectify misconceptions about both tap water quantity and bottled water quality.

Security-differentiated Water Pricing as a Mechanism for Mitigating Drought Impacts. Insights from a Case Study in the Mediterranean Basin.

Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource due to growing multi-sector demand and the effects of climate change. During droughts, the proportional rule is the most widespread water allocation method applied in irrigation systems. However, this method fails to guarantee efficient water allocation or to provide a fair method of water allocation. This paper aims to verify whether by replacing the water allocation methods based on a proportional rule with methods based on a priority rule could improve the allocation of water resources and minimize the negative economic impacts of water shortages. The ultimate objective of this research is to design a water pricing scheme capable of guaranteeing efficient water reallocation during drought conditions. Therefore, an experiment was carried out for the largest irrigated area in southern Italy, covered by the Capitanata Reclamation and Irrigation board (CBC). A positive mathematical programming model was implemented in order to simulate the effects of the proposed mechanism. The findings show that priority mechanisms have the potential to improve overall economic efficiency in the event of water shortages. However, results also point to the need for optimal design of a differentiated water pricing scheme.

Estimation of a demand system to obtain the price elasticities of water and elasticities of substitution in the Chilean industrial sector

A system of demand for inputs and productive factors is estimated to calculate the elasticities of substitution and the own-price elasticity of industrial water demand in Chile. A previous study used the Annual National Industrial Survey (ENIA) panel (1995–2014) to estimate the value of water and own-price elasticity through a translog production function. However, that database does not report the industrial firms' location to protect the informants’ statistical secrecy. In contrast, in this study, the survey ENIA 2018 is chosen since it includes the region where each firm is located, which allows for evaluating the endogeneity of the water price variable and using three instrumental variables related to the water supply. In addition, the performance of non-linear regression methods with constraints is evaluated to ensure that the estimated coefficients meet the conditions imposed by economic theory. The results show that the elasticity of industrial water demand is unitary but not statistically significant in most subsectors. The water demand in the wood and paper industry subsector is elastic (−2.2) and statistically significant. On the other hand, the elasticities of substitution obtained adopt values very low, indicating that water is an essential resource that is difficult to replace by other inputs or productive factors.

Pricing for Water Conservation and Equity Consideration: The Case of Texas

Water utility providers in Texas have been trying to coordinate demand for and supply of water to ensure a stable source of water given the state’s recent rapid population growth and persistent drought-like conditions. Their efforts, however, vary across municipalities throughout Texas. The paper provides a broad analysis of pricing practices in 423 municipalities across Texas from 2014 to 2020 and their impact on residential water consumption. We also assess how other socio-demographic and climatic conditions may influence water use and water rates decisions across municipalities. Besides investigating the potential determinants of water demand, the paper also looks at several supply-side variables and the income gap to address the endogeneity of water block prices. Our results shed light on how current water pricing practices in Texas incorporate aspects of the Integrated Water Management Practices that have been shaping water management for decades.

Ageing Water Infrastructure and municipal water pricing policy

Ageing Water Infrastructure and municipal water pricing policy

Water resources management scenarios and transboundary hydro-political concerns in Iran’s eastern border areas

Motives: Since the main sources of some rivers are located in neighbouring countries, hydrological issues in the eastern part of Iran are critical. The water dispute between Iran and the neighbouring Afghanistan is related to environmental issues and human health.Aim: The aim of this study was to demonstrate how transboundary water conflicts increase human vulnerability through economic issues such as reduced productivity in the agricultural sector.Results: The study’s originality lies in the application of the positive mathematical programming approach to the agricultural sector, specifically in evaluating the impact of water pricing policies on crop selection and irrigation water use. A quadratic cost function was calibrated to develop three scenarios of water resources consumption (30%, 40%, and 70% reduction for farmers in group 1, and 10%, 25%, and 75% reduction for farmers in group 2) and price increase (70%, 80%, and 100% increase). The calibration of the quadratic cost function revealed an increase in irrigation efficiency (water resources consumption) as well as an increase in the region’s irrigated area.