Quality Of Water Supply Services Research Articles

Improvement of water utility management in Tajikistan: reduction in water wastage using a metered tariff system

AbstractTajikistan is a country in Central Asia with rich water resources. However, drinking water is used for agriculture and other non-drinking purposes owing to the fixed tariff system. Consequently, the overall level of water services has deteriorated and generated revenue is insufficient for operation and maintenance costs. Therefore, a project aimed to improve the quality of water supply services by providing hardware support, such as construction of wells and renewal of water distribution pipes, was conducted. However, because hardware improvement alone cannot sufficiently enhance water supply services, software support to improve the capacity of Vodokanal (utility) staff, including preparation of a metered tariff system, was implemented through a technical cooperation project. The project successfully raised customer awareness of water conservation, and the water consumption rate was reduced to two-thirds of that before implementation of the project. Additionally, the water quantity, quality, pressure, and supply hours in the target area were significantly improved. Despite the resulting increase in financial burden, customer satisfaction regarding the water supply was enhanced from 51% before the project to 100% in the second half of the project. Simultaneously, the water supply revenue increased by 24% and this increase contributed to sustainable water supply management.

Association between water for human consumption and health of the population of the state of Rio de Janeiro: the case of hepatitis A between 2007 and 2018

This article analyzes the relationship between incidences of hepatitis A — a water-borne disease that can also be transmitted by lack of hygiene — and quality indicators in the provision of water supply services, through secondary data extracted from the National Information Systems for Notifiable Diseases and on Sanitation, in the period between 2007 and 2018, for the municipalities of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The indicators were initially submitted to Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce numerous variables that showed autocorrelation with each other. Subsequently, the principal components were submitted to Pearson’s correlation analysis with the incidence of hepatitis A. A correlation coefficient of -0.32 was observed, at the level of significance (p < 0.05) between the cumulative incidences of hepatitis A and the principal component (PC3) formed by a set of quality indicators for the provision of water supply services. The indicators that best described PC3, with factor loadings ranging from -0.88 to 0.70, were those related to: hydrometer, water and revenue losses, water revenue, the participation of residential water savings, micro-measurement related to water consumption, water consumption and average water consumption per economy, average duration of outages, and the incidence of non-standard total coliform analyses. Thus, the observed results point to an association between the quality of water supply services and the incidence of hepatitis A, which may indicate both failures in treatment efficiency and lack of hygiene.

Household’s Willingness to Pay for Improved Water Supply Services in Mettu Town: An Assessment

The purpose of the article is to analyze and determine the willingness of citizens to pay for improving the quality of water services (the income derived from the consumption of water services does not cover the costs of providing such services). The study focuses on Ethiopia’s metropolitan areas (including households in town Mettu), as it is the problem of financial scarcity in Ethiopia that is particularly relevant and access to water services is a key component in calculating the human poverty index for most developing countries. Based on a survey of 79 Mettu town households, it is justified that residents view water not as a public good but as an economic good, as they are prepared to pay for it. The survey concluded that an average of 69% of Mettu households is willing to pay for improved water quality, with household income, water supply satisfaction, and supply price having a strong impact on households’ willingness to pay for improved water services. In particular, the older the locals are and the higher their income level, the more they are willing to pay for improved water quality and security of water supply. At the same time, rising levels of education in Mettu residents reduce their willingness to incur additional financial costs, more educated people view water services as a boon to the authorities. The results of the study proved that while providing local authorities with high-quality water supply services, more than 80% of households are ready and able to pay for services at a price that exceeds the tariff rate for water supply costs. The article stated that increasing the quality of water supply services by increasing the number of tariffs for water use will contribute to the growth of the financial revenues of local authorities, which will ensure the provision of water supply in the required quantity and on a stable basis. Keywords: improved water supply services, willingness, bidding Prices and tariff structure.

The Relationship between Water-Related Disease and Water Quality with Particular Reference to Urban Water Supply in a Developing Country

The problems of urban water supply and water related disease in the Americas are examined in the context of population growth and geographical features. The debate concerning the transmission of potentially water-borne pathogens is discussed. The factors affecting the quality of water supply services in a large metropolitan area (Lima) are described and the epidemiological characteristics of water-related disease summarised and compared with data from Africa (Lesotho). A water quality additive index is proposed in order to identify the level of risk for each metropolitan district. This incorporates the presence of faecal coliforms and the absence of chlorine residual. A water-related disease product index (DPI) is also proposed which incorporates the incidence of typhoid, hepatitis and diarrhoea. The indices were matched for all districts, where adequate data were available, and a strong correlation was noted. The water quality index was divided into categories (A,B,C) and it was observed that these were generally dependent upon the water supply service levels. It is concluded that disinfection control is grossly deficient in most developing countries but essential for the control of water-borne disease.

The Relationship between Water-Related Disease and Water Quality with Particular Reference to Urban Water Supply in a Developing Country*

The problems of urban water supply and water related disease in the Americas are examined in the context of population growth and geographical features. The debate concerning the transmission of potentially water-borne pathogens is discussed. The factors affecting the quality of water supply services in a large metropolitan area (Lima) are described and the epidemiological characteristics of water-related disease summarised and compared with data from Africa (Lesotho). A water quality additive index is proposed in order to identify the level of risk for each metropolitan district. This incorporates the presence of faecal coliforms and the absence of chlorine residual. A water-related disease product index (DPI) is also proposed which incorporates the incidence of typhoid, hepatitis and diarrhoea. The indices were matched for all districts, where adequate data were available, and a strong correlation was noted. The water quality index was divided into categories (A,B,C) and it was observed that these were generally dependent upon the water supply service levels. It is concluded that disinfection control is grossly deficient in most developing countries but essential for the control of water-borne disease. * The full version of this article will appear in Water Science and Technology, 21(6/7), 579-591 (1989).