Water System Improvements Research Articles

Assessing Public Water Management Efficiency in North-western Mexico with a Two-stage Bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis Model

Purpose: Mexico faces severe water availability problems, resulting in higher stress on its distribution in many states. To resolve the increasing water demand, it is essential to evaluate public water management to ensure the success of any decision-making policies to decrease the water pressure in the country. Methodology/Approach: For water management systems, benchmarking their performance relative to others can be an appropriate way to identify possible improvements. Using data from the National Census for drinking water and sanitation in 109 municipalities in the northwest region of Mexico, this analysis aims to evaluate the water management efficiency based on a two-stage Bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis model with intermediate variables. Findings: The study found average efficiency in water system management but very low efficiency in system improvements. Additionally, no relationship was identified between the two stages or population size and density. Research Limitation/Implication: The study highlights the need for transparent water policies to address the country's shortage. Adjusting municipal public water system management operations and designing future strategic planning is essential. Originality/Value of paper: The presented analysis investigates a relationship between water management and water system improvements.

Study design and rationale for the PAASIM project: a matched cohort study on urban water supply improvements and infant enteric pathogen infection, gut microbiome development and health in Mozambique

IntroductionDespite clear linkages between provision of clean water and improvements in child health, limited information exists about the health impacts of large water infrastructure improvements in low-income settings. Billions of...

A state-level analysis of the water system management efficiency in Mexico: Two-stage DEA approach

The public water system management in Mexico has recently been criticized due to severe problems with the availability of drinkable water. Significant differences exist between Mexican regions regarding the availability of renewable water and water system distribution. Moreover, water governance in the country is inefficient due to the lack of transparency in the water policies. Therefore, the article aims to investigate whether there is a direct relationship between water system management efficiency and water system improvement efficiency and how the efficiency reflects the size of the population and the availability of renewable water in each state. For this, a two-stage DEA model is constructed to evaluate the water system management efficiency in Mexico. The results indicate high average water management efficiency but very low efficiency in the water system improvements. Furthermore, immense differences in the water system efficiency can be observed with respect to the characteristics and adopted policies.

Policy Note: Systems Thinking for More Holistic Analysis of Low- and Middle-Income Country Water Utility Problems and Solutions

Globally, billions of people rely on piped water and sanitation services delivered by municipal water utilities, but many of these systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are plagued by chronic problems of inequitable access, intermittent supply, and poor water quality. While improving service quality in these persistently underperforming systems will certainly require substantial infrastructure investment and supportive maintenance, a parallel strengthening of utilities and regulators’ capacity and management is at least as fundamental. And though prior research highlights the lack of capacity, misaligned incentives, and ineffective policies that lead LMIC utilities to perform so poorly, the identification of sustainable and replicable solutions to these problems, that extends beyond a small set of cases, has proven difficult. This paper argues for greater use of systems dynamics models to facilitate more holistic thinking about the potential of different intervention strategies, acknowledging that the behavior of utility-based water management systems is defined by complex interactions. This complexity plays out in reinforcing and balancing feedback between variables, lagged responses, and dynamics that often preclude moving past critical thresholds that define poverty or low performance traps. The paper then discusses how several basic archetypes relate to experiences of institutional reform failure and success described in the broader literature, with the goal of motivating future application of these methods for comparative analysis of different utility water system improvements.

A trade-off balance among urban water infrastructure improvements and financial management to achieve water sustainability

ABSTRACT Rapidly growing population, unplanned urbanization, aging and lack of infrastructure, and climate change inhibit communities meeting the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to urban water service provision. Despite planning of water infrastructure solutions, the implementation has been limited due to financial constraints and lack of evidence-based decision-making guidance. This study investigates the trade-offs and integrated actions of water infrastructure improvements and financial management to enhance water supply service and system sustainability in tandem using a case study metropolitan area in Pakistan. This study employs a System Dynamics modeling approach to support the analysis of complex feedback interactions among water system improvements and financial management in evaluating water supply coverage and availability, revenue water, and cost recovery. The findings suggest synergies/trade-offs between system augmentation/maintenance and water tariff increase for a city to co-achieve effective water services and financial sustainability in pursuit of the UN SDG 6.

Urban environment improvement assessment by using hedonic price: Impact of city water system project in china

A city water system improvement project (CWSIP) performs an important ecological and socio-economic function. Development of public goods and services were commonly found to have an implicit price premium on the housing market. However, there have been few studies regarding CWSIPs. This article aims to reveal the implicit price of CWSIP on house prices in Guilin, China, by using the hedonic price approach. The model was tested with a sample of 9357 housing in the urban area. Results found that housing with a view of the CWSIP, or within a certain distance of the CWSIP, received house price premiums on housing sales. The results support that the scarcity of public goods could be charged for the implicit price in related goods or services that share this scarcely characteristic. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2017

The Tunnel beneath San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is proactively implementing an extensive retrofit of its local and regional water systems. This ambitious $4.6-billion undertaking, known as the Hetch Hetchy Water System Improvement Program, spans seven counties and includes 81 projects. Two of these projects will provide a new conduit across San Francisco Bay in an environmentally fragile and seismically vulnerable area. The solution to these and other project constraints: the first true tunnel beneath San Francisco Bay.

Pipeline to the people

This article discusses an alignment study that incorporated a sophisticated stakeholder participation program and decision‐making process that revealed optimal approaches for upcoming design and construction of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) bicounty water supply main. The bicounty water supply main, when completed in 2010, will serve as the final link in the extensive water system improvements initiated by WSSC nearly 20 years ago. The article specifically discusses the challenges of serving such a large area, and how extensive community outreach and involvement during all phases of the project, particularly in selecting the preferred alignment and construction method, was very important. Also discussed is the application of advanced risk management techniques.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Helps Ground Water Systems Deliver Public Health Protection

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Helps Ground Water Systems Deliver Public Health Protection

Water Plan Blossoms From Citizen Input

Due to rapid population growth, the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) recognized the need for a widescale program of water system improvements. A citizen advisory committee was formed to participate in developing the capital plan and to ensure that citizens were full partners in planning the future of water supply in southern Nevada. Public input was gathered during the design phases of the program to help prepare the framework for valleywide improvements, expansions, and new facilities.

Assessing the financial and economic feasibility of rural water system improvements

Financial feasibility of a rural water supply improvement is based on the ability of households to pay for it and economic feasibility on willingness to pay, or benefit, compared to costs. A simple household budgeting methodology is presented which can be used to estimate the ability to pay of water users for a water supply improvement. The contingent valuation method and benefit transfer techniques can be used to estimate rural water supply benefits. Using these procedures, the desirability of investing in rural water improvements is analyzed for a particular application. These methodologies can help policy-makers assess the viability of proposed water supply projects.

Question of the Month

This month's question asks about available funds to pay for small water system improvements required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The answer lists other available funds such as the Rural Development Administration, state agencies, CoBank (a federally chartered private financial institution), banks, and private financing.

Reliability Analysis for Master Planning of a Water System

The reliability of urban water systems is coming under greater scrutiny as increased public demand continues to stretch the systems' capabilities. In many cases the public has taken for granted the reliability of these systems. However, as more attention is turned to the cost and environmental consequences of developing new urban water supplies and facilities, the question of reliability must be more thoroughly addressed. This article presents an example of such a reliability analysis applied to a water delivery system and describes how the City of Boulder, Colo., used this analysis to determine the need for and priority of water system improvements.

Water System Improvement Program in Eugene, Oregon

A water system radiating from a central area can stretch only so far. Adding more capacity requires proper planning, financial strength, and the art of meeting the system requirements while conforming to various agencies' myriad of rules, controls, and procedures. The Eugene Water & Electric Board has just completed the installation of 15.5 miles of water transmission lines for 30 in. to 60 in. in diameter requiring multiple crossings of rivers, railroad tracts, gas pipelines, interstate highway, state, county, and city roadways and private properties. Filtration plant capacity was increasing to 105 mgd and a new 20,000,000-gal reservoir completed the program. An examination of design and construction considerations is presented. While now learning how to operate the new facility, planning is underway far beyond the program period.

Water System Improvements: An Investment Requiring Repayment

Construction of many of the municipal water supply treatment and distribution systems in the west was financed solely with local water user revenues. The people of the west have not received major federal subsidies or grants in the development of necessary water facilities.

Development of a Capital Improvement Program Joint Discussion

In this joint discussion, Uel Stephens of the Municipal Advisory Service in Fort Worth, Texas, provides an introduction to the development of a capital improvement program. Johnie E. Williams of the San Angelo, Texas, Water Department discusses a water utility manager's role in communicating the need for a capital improvement program. Rodger Line, Research and Budget Director of Fort Worth, Texas, discusses the role of the city manager in the development of a water system improvement program, and S. Gardner Endress, of Freese, Nichols, & Endress, Fort Worth, Texas, discusses the role of the engineer. Low‐cost, long‐term financing is discussed by Frank J. Medanich of First Southwest Company, Dallas, Texas. The role of the bond counsel is discussed by Millard Parkhurst of McCall, Parkhurst, Crowe, McCall & Horton, Dallas, Texas. Finally, the role of public relations is discussed by Irvin Farman of Witherspoon & Associates, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas.

Determination of Water System Improvements

Determination of Water System Improvements

Perspective in Planning Water System Improvements

gaged in the administration, operation, and design of water works facilities to think of the individual components of water systems as if they were isolated units with specific characteristics and problems rather than integrated and interdependent parts of a complete, organized system. This tendency is believed to be particularly strong in dealing with high-service pumping facilities. It is extremely easy, and sometimes extremely unfortunate, to draw conclusions on pump operating conditions with inadequate regard to suction and discharge characteristics for varying rates of delivery. In a typical direct-pressure system, involving a high-service pumping station, transmission mains, and distribution network, the head-capacity characteristics of the system as a whole must be ascertained before the selection of