Public Water Companies Research Articles

RANCANG BANGUN PROTOTIPE SISTEM ATS-AMF BERBASIS MIKROKONTROLER DI PERUMDA AIR MINUM TIRTA SANJIWANI UNIT PRODUKSI BLANGSINGA

The continuity of electricity supply from generators to consumers cannot always be guaranteed due to various factors such as planned outages, distribution failures, and the impacts of natural disasters. The Regional Public Water Company (Perumda) Tirta Sanjiwani has adopted generators as Backup Power Sources to ensure the availability of water supply to consumers. However, the Blangsinga Production Unit of Perumda Tirta Sanjiwani faces challenges in switching electricity supply between PLN and the generator set (genset), especially in operations requiring uninterrupted continuity. To overcome the instability of the electricity supply from PLN, the use of automatic systems such as ATS (Automatic Transfer Switch) and AMF (Automatic Main Failure) is necessary. The function of ATS is to switch from PLN to the backup power source (genset) when there is a disturbance or outage in PLN. AMF is responsible for detecting failures in PLN and initiating the genset as well as transferring the load to the backup power source when there is a failure in the main power supply. The ATS-AMF system prototype is designed using voltage sensors, frequency sensors, current sensors, and relays to ensure optimal performance and responsiveness to environmental conditions and power supply conditions.

Employee Performance Engineering Based on Organizational Culture, Compensation and Motivation

Employee performance is determined, among other things, by organizational culture, compensation and motivation. This research aims to examine the influence of organizational culture, compensation and motivation simultaneously or partially on employee performance at the regional public water company, Mojopahit Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia. The research population was 124 employees of the Mojopahit Drinking Water Regional Public Company in Mojokerto. Meanwhile, 45 people were selected as research samples. Meanwhile, the sampling technique uses simple random sampling. Data collection uses a questionnaire that is distributed directly to respondents. The analysis tool uses multiple linear regression. Hypothesis testing uses the F test to prove the simultaneous influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable and the t test to prove the partial influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable. The research results concluded that organizational culture, compensation and motivation simultaneously or partially affect employee performance, but organizational culture variables have a stronger influence on employee performance than compensation and motivation variables.

Assessing the dynamic performance of water companies through the lens of service quality

The measurement of performance within the water industry holds significant importance for policymakers, as it can help guide decision-making for future development and management initiatives. In this study, we apply data envelopment analysis (DEA) cross-efficiency techniques to evaluate the productivity change of the Chilean water industry during the years 2010–2018. Water leakage and unplanned interruptions are included in the analysis as quality of service variables. Moreover, we use cluster analysis and regression techniques to better understand what drives productivity change of water companies. The results indicate that the Chilean water industry is characterized by considerable high levels of inefficiency and low levels of productivity change. This is due to the existence of technical regress whereas gains in efficiency were small. Concessionary water companies were found to be more productive than full private and public water companies. Best and worst performers need to make efforts to reduce production costs and improve service quality. Other factors such as customer density and ownership type statistically affect productivity.

Health-economic valuation of lowering nitrate standards in drinking water related to colorectal cancer in Denmark

Nitrate in drinking water is a contaminant which can affect human health and has been associated with an increased risk of, amongst other diseases, colorectal cancer. Based on epidemiologic data from Denmark on the association between drinking water nitrate and colorectal cancer, the health and economic consequences of lowering the standard of nitrate in drinking water from 50 mg/L to 9.25 mg/L and 3.87 mg/L, respectively are analyzed. The drinking water nitrate attributable number of cases was estimated using the risk in the exposed and unexposed population based on current nationwide exposure distributions. The analysis shows that a lower limit of 9.25 mg/L would decrease the annual number of colorectal cancer cases by 72 (95 % confidence interval: 34–114) and by an additional 55 (95 % CI: 10–100) for a stricter limit of 3.87 mg/L. The resulting avoided health-related costs are $179 million per year for the 9.25 mg/L nitrate limit and another $138 million per year for a further reduction to 3.87 mg/L nitrate. The new requirements would incur costs linked to either i) changes in land use management, ii) well reallocation or iii) use of treatment technologies. The additional costs are estimated to $0.03–1.84 per m3 abstracted water from public water companies, which together with costs for owners of private wells, will result in an average additional cost of $9 and $6 million per year for the two levels. The economic health benefits are higher than the costs for both limits with net gains of $170 million (9.25 mg/L) and additionally $132 million (3.87 mg/L) a year. Even in a worst-case scenario (lowest health-related benefits and highest mitigation costs), there is a likely economic gain for society from lowering the limit to 9.25 mg/L, but this might not be the case for the lower limit of 3.87 mg/L.

Analisis Kinerja Keuangan Pada Perusahaan Umum Daerah Air Minum (Perumdam) Tirta Mayang Kota Jambi

This study aims to find out how the financial performance of the Tirta Mayang Regional Drinking Water Company (PERUMDAM) Jambi City uses solvency, profitability, activity and liquidity ratios. This research uses descriptive research type and quantitative research characteristics. The population used in this study is the financial statements of the Tirta Mayang Public Water Company (PERUMDAM), Jambi City. Based on the results of the discussion it can be concluded that 1). The financial performance of PERUMDAM Tirta Mayang City of Jambi as assessed by the analysis of the liquidity ratio has increased every year which illustrates that the company is in very good condition. 2). The financial performance of PERUMDAM Tirta Mayang City of Jambi as assessed by solvency ratio analysis stated that the company's financial performance was not good or less effective so it needed to be improved. 3). The financial performance of PERUMDAM Tirta Mayang, City of Jambi, assessed by analysis of profitability ratios, stated that the company's financial performance was not good or less effective, so it needed to be improved. 4). The financial performance of PERUMDAM Tirta Mayang City of Jambi assessed by activity ratio analysis stated that the company's financial performance was not good or less effective so it needed to be improved.
 Key Words: Liquidity Ratio, Solvency Ratio, Profitability Ratio, And Activity Ratio

Evaluation of Bacteria Obtained from Private Well Water within Akungba-Akoko

Availability of potable water is important for healthy living. Domestic water is usually supplied to homes through private wells, boreholes and public water companies. This study aimed at evaluating bacteria from private well water samples which serves as a major water source in the study area (Akungba-Akoko). Samples were subjected to total bacterial and coliform counts using nutrient agar and eosin-methylene blue (EMB) respectively. All isolates were identified based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics. This was followed by antibiotics sensitivity test (AST). The result showed that total bacterial count ranged from 4.0 ×103 CFU/mL to 22.5 × 103 CFU/mL while total coliform count ranged from 1.0 × 100 CFU/mL to 7 × 100 CFU/mL. Gram positive bacteria belonging to the following genera; Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Enterococcus, Micrococcus, and Staphylococcus were obtained, while Gram negative bacteria include; Alcaligenes, Campylobacter, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Salmonella. Enterobacter and Pseudomonas had the highest percentages of occurrence of 15%. P. pseudo-mallei had the highest sensitivity to ofloxacin (23 mm), followed by P. fluorescens (22 mm) and C. freundii (22 mm) while B. subtilis was susceptible to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, levofloxacin. The result showed high level of bacterial contamination in all samples tested. The coliform count of all water samples exceeded the recommended level of zero. Hence, there is the need for proper wells water maintenance, control and improve hygienic practices by the households and individuals to help solve the risk of disease outbreak.

The Responsibility of Local Water Supply Companies in Fulfilling the Need for Clean Water is Associated with Law No. 40 of 2007 concerning Limited Liability Companies

The management of drinking water at the district or city level can take the form of a regional drinking water company (PDAM) and even in some districts or cities, now the regional drinking water company has changed its name to the regional public drinking water company (Perumda Air Drinking). Given the significant importance of the responsibility of the Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM), the Regional Company must work professionally and efficiently in carrying out its business. The purpose of this research is to examine and examine how the regulation and implementation of the accountability of the Regional Public Water Company in meeting the demand for clean water in Kuningan Regency is related to regional regulations and Law no. 40 of 2007 concerning Limited Liability Companies. This research method uses an empirical juridical approach and collection techniques with primary, secondary and tertiary data, as well as data collection tools by means of observation and interviews, qualitative data analysis. The results of the study show that the Regional Water Supply Company in Kuningan Regency has implemented corporate social responsibility to the community in tackling the clean water crisis by providing assistance to fulfill clean water through tanker services as well as providing compensation in the form of cost reductions and providing a means for complaints to the public for services , making efforts to obtain new water sources and guarding and caring for a number of springs in Kuningan Regency carrying out a program of replanting tree species as a source of underground water storage.

An investigation of productivity, profitability, and regulation in the Chilean water industry using stochastic frontier analysis

The firms’ performance assessment for regulation requires estimating profit change and its drivers. This study estimates and decomposes profit changes into components such as output and input price changes, output growth, and markups. Using the stochastic frontier analysis, we compute the drivers of productivity change, such as technical change, returns to scale, and efficiency change. We apply the profit decomposition to several full private water companies (FPWCs), concessionary water companies (CWCs), and a public water company (PWC) in Chile over two years. Results showed that profit and total factor productivity levels increased over time at 1.967% and 1.062% per annum, respectively. Technical change, gains in efficiency, and a reduction in input prices were the main drivers contributing to positive profit growth. We also found that the PWC was more productive and profitable than private companies, with FPWCs outperforming CWCs. The results of our study can aid policymakers in understanding how resources are used, why some companies in the water industry perform better than others, and how these changes impact productivity over time.

Water supply in Covid-19 times: the role of public operators, housing associations and informal providers in Arequipa, Peru

ABSTRACT We explore responses of water supply providers during the first stage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Arequipa, Peru, contrasting actions by the public water company, dominant in the city core, and by neighbourhood associations, dominant in the unplanned periphery. The water company implemented instalment payments, the suspension of water shutoffs and the distribution of free water giving priority to the core districts. On the periphery, neighbourhood associations continued to depend mostly on water trucks under irregular and expensive service. The pandemic made more evident the fragmented nature of water supply in cities of the Global South such as Arequipa.

The Performance of the Tirta Mangutama Clean Water Public Company Badung, Bali, Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the performance of the Tirta Mangutama Regional Public Water Company in terms of the relationship between the addition of workers to maximize profit and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This study was designed with concurrent embedded research, with a quantitative approach, and validated qualitatively. The results of the study found that there was no positive relationship between the addition of workers with maximum profit and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was found to be negative on the company’s performance in 2020. In the Tri Wulan II performance report it was found that the company’s condition was healthy (score 3.32), but some aspects, such as return on equity of 0.49 percent, operating expense ratio of 0.98 percent, customer growth of 0.27 percent, domestic water consumption is less than 20 m3/month, non-revenue water 42.61 percent, water meter turnover is less than 5 percent, and the ratio of education and training costs for human resources is in the 2.5 percent category, meaningless good. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended that the Regional Water Company Tirta Mangutama pay more attention to the low score following the provisions of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing.

Performance analysis of Chilean water companies after the privatization of the industry: the influence of ownership

ABSTRACT This study examines the efficiency and productivity of the Chilean water and sewerage industry over the period 2010–2017 using a stochastic cost frontier model. This methodological approach allowed us to evaluate the impact of water companies´ ownership on their productivity. This is very relevant for the Chilean water and sewerage industry which involves a public, full private and concessionary water companies. The results evidenced that the Chilean water and sewerage industry improved its productivity across years. However, the increase in the productivity of full private and concessionary water companies was larger than the one experienced by the public water company.

Economies of integration and sources of change in productivity in the Chilean water and sewerage industry: a translog cost function approach.

This paper researches the existence of economies of scale and scope in the Chilean water and sewerage industry using a translog cost function approach over the period 2010-2017. It also provides estimates of productivity growth and its determinants, technical change and scale effect. The results suggest that on average, the water industry operates under increasing economies of scale, which implies that further increases in water companies' scale of operations may be cost beneficial. Economies of scope between water and sewerage services were found for the average company, which suggests that the joint provision of these services may lead to cost savings. An average annual productivity increase of 2.5% was reported with scale effect being the major driver. Full private companies performed better than concessionary and public water companies. The results of our study can be of greater interest to the policy-makers who want to make decisions on introducing policy reforms such as mergers, unbundling of the water and sewerage supply chain, or developing incentives to improve companies' productivity.

Benchmarking the efficiency of water and sewerage companies: Application of the stochastic non-parametric envelopment of data (stoned) method

Many regulators employ frontier techniques to measure the performance of regulated monopolistic companies. This study estimates the cost efficiency of the water sector using the stochastic non-parametric envelopment of data (StoNED) method which brings together the qualities of both data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). This technique is applied to several Chilean private and public water companies without and with the inclusion of several environmental variables. The results indicated that the water industry demonstrated high levels of cost efficiency. Based on average results, it appeared that the public water company performed slightly better than private ones, with full private water companies being more efficient than concessionary. However, the analysis of the trend in companies’ efficiency revealed that full private water companies’ efficiency increased over the years 2010–2018, whereas the opposite was true for the public water company. It is also found that environmental variables might have a higher impact on public water company costs and inefficiency than private ones.

Measuring the marginal costs of reducing water leakage: the case of water and sewerage utilities in Chile.

Water leakage in the urban water cycle involves relevant economic, social, and environmental negative impacts. Thus, reducing water leakage is a key challenge for both water regulators and water companies. This study estimated the evolution (2007-2015) of the marginal cost of improving the quality of service in terms of water leakage in the Chilean water industry, which involves full private, concessionary, and public water companies. In water companies, management skills and efforts play an important role in meeting water leakage targets. Thus, this study employed a cost frontier model where it was assumed that unobserved management ability interacts with output and water leakage factors. The results reveal high levels of cost efficiency for the average water company. Management increases outputs and reduces water leakage and, thus, has a positive impact on costs and efficiency. The marginal cost of reducing water leakage is higher for the public water company than for private and concessionary water companies. The average estimated marginal cost of reducing water leakage was 0.349 €/m3, which means that a water company has to spend an extra 0.349 € in operating costs to avoid a cubic meter of water leakage. Some policy implications were discussed based on the results of this study.

Water Scarcity Communication in the UK: Learning From Water Company Communications Following the 2018 Heatwave

When communicating about water scarcity, public water companies in the UK operate within a fine balance. There is a legal obligation on water companies in the UK to promote efficient water use, and pressure on water resources means that water companies need to encourage changes in water consumption behaviors. However, there is a lack of information about the way UK water companies communicate with the public. This paper presents the results of research into UK water company practices and perceptions in engaging consumers around water scarcity and water saving and discusses what this means for water scarcity communication. Interviews with 10 water company communication teams (14 interviewees) following the 2018 UK heatwave explored opportunities, innovations and challenges in public communication. Interviewees recognized the need for an ongoing conversation about water in the UK and identified a number of practices which could support a change in public water consumption. The results highlight the perceived importance of trust, timing and community- or group-scale communications, and the need for a cross-sectoral and intergenerational approach to public communication about water resources. This research examines some of the current underlying assumptions of water companies about what influences public water consumption in the UK and offers insights into some of the key challenges and opportunities for the future.

Policy Implementation in Water Services

This study analyzes the factors that influence the implementation of policies in clean water management based on participatory management of the Sukoharjo community. This research was conducted at the Tirta Makmur Regional Public Water Company in Sukoharjo Regency. The research method used is a qualitative method using the theory of implementation of the policies of Donald Van Meter and Carl Van Horn (1975). The research results conclude that the factors that influence the implementation of clean water service policy based on participatory management by the Tirta Makmur Regional Public Water Company in Sukoharjo Regency are clear policy and standard objectives, consensus on changes in policy implementation, human resource capacity of implementing organizations, financing, the quality of interorganizational relations, a healthy political, social and economic environment, and participatory management. The results of this study suggest that the Regional House of Representatives, Regency Government, and Management of Regional Public Companies have a large consensus of change, government and community participation, investment in service improvement, preparing raw water sources.

Proposal of a neutrosophic index to evaluate the management of internal control

Corporate auditing is part of the necessary mechanisms to evaluate and monitor the practices being carried out in enterprises. It also allows for the timely correction of future trends that will damage the company. Internal control is part of these audits, where the company is internally analyzed, and is a highly recommended practice for both state and private companies. Evaluation of internal control presents some challenges, such as the presence of incomplete or contradictory information, as well as the importance of properly understanding and communicating what it is wished to study. This is why in this paper we propose an index to evaluate the internal control of a company, based on Single-Valued Neutrosophic Numbers (SVNN) and natural language. The advantage of this tool is that linguistic terms can be more easily used for assessing and better understood by the evaluated; also the indeterminacy that exists in any evaluation can be incorporated. To illustrate the use of this index, a case study is carried out in the internal control of the municipa l public water company of Tulcan, Ecuador.

Poverty Penalty in Urban Water Market in Ghana

Public water companies in many countries in the global south struggle to meet the water needs of their growing urban populations, especially the urban poor. Consequently, the urban poor receive the worse form of water services mostly from unregulated water vendors and pay poverty penalty. Formalising the informal water vendors has only been mentioned in pro-poor water policies, but the reality only reveals policy rhetoric. This paper investigates the persistence of poverty penalty associated with water supply to the urban poor in Ghana from unregulated water vendors. The data used in the study were gathered through interviews with 78 water vendors (i.e. 53 fixed-point vendors and 25 mobile vendors) who were selected from two water-stressed poor urban communities and one poor urban settlement with water supply from the state utility provider. The results indicate that informal water vendors play a very important role in meeting the water needs of the urban poor. However, it was observed that the urban poor households paid a high-poverty premium for relying on these unregulated water vendors for their water needs. The paper concludes that a viable pro-poor water policy must strive to practically integrate the independent small-scale water providers in the urban water market in order to make an impact. Policy tools that can be used to integrate the private vendors into the urban water market and minimise the poverty penalty have been considered in the paper.

Nature and Scope of Public Private Partnerships in the Water Sector in Kenya

Public-Private Partnership refers to an approach which combines positive aspects of Public and private sectors to come up with better public service delivery model. The PPP arrangements neither appear uniformly nor apply in all circumstances. The study investigated whether or not, through water sector reforms PPP has been realized in the provision of water services in Kenya. Using Public choice theory the study used secondary data and primary data from seven (7) Focus Group Discussions, and 33 Key informant interviews. From seven (7) WSPs, the study found out that PPPs exist in regulation, provision and financing of water services and that in Kenya, PPPs have been incorporated more by the community water projects than the Public water companies.

Critical Systems Thinking Review on Decentralized Drinking Water Management in Nauli City, Indonesia

AbstractThis paper is based on a PhD project that strives to assess the performance of decentralised drinking water management in the city of Nauli, Indonesia. The implementation of decentralised government system followed by decentralizing some functions including drinking water services, is unsatisfactory in providing access to drinking water for all residents in the city of Nauli. Nauli Municipality that has just split up as an autonomous local government under the decentralized government system in Indonesia, is facing conflicts in providing water provision to the society, since there are three public water companies in this region: PDAM of Nauli City, PDAM of Nauli District, and BLUD of the Samsoir Provincial Government. Furthermore, these governments and water companies seem to forget the main objective of government in water provision as stated in the Indonesia Constitution: to fully control the water and manage it for meeting the people's needs. The aim of this research is to apply Ulrich's critical systems heuristics (CSH) to address the following research questions: (i) how effective is the current decentralized water management system?; and (ii) how the current system can be improved and what ought to be done? Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.