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Energy and greenhouse gas management in urban water systems typically focus on optimising within the direct system boundary of water utilities that covers the centralised water supply and wastewater treatment systems, despite a greater energy influence by the water end use. This work develops a cost curve of water-related energy management options from a city perspective for a hypothetical Australian city. It is compared with that from the water utility perspective. The curves are based on 18 water-related energy management options that have been implemented or evaluated in Australia. In the studied scenario, the cost-effective energy saving potential from a city perspective (292 GWh/year) is far more significant than that from a utility perspective (65 GWh/year). In some cases, for similar capital cost, if regional water planners invested in end use options instead of utility options, a greater energy saving potential at a greater cost-effectiveness could be achieved in urban water systems. For example, upgrading a wastewater treatment plant for biogas recovery at a capital cost of $27.2 million would save 31 GWh/year with a marginal cost saving of $63/MWh, while solar hot water system rebates at a cost of $28.6 million would save 67 GWh/year with a marginal cost saving of $111/MWh. Options related to hot water use such as water-efficient shower heads, water-efficient clothes washers and solar hot water system rebates are among the most cost-effective city-scale opportunities. This study demonstrates the use of cost curves to compare both utility and end use options in a consistent framework. It also illustrates that focusing solely on managing the energy use within the utility would miss substantial non-utility water-related energy saving opportunities. There is a need to broaden the conventional scope of cost curve analysis to include water-related energy and greenhouse gas at the water end use, and to value their management from a city perspective. This would create opportunities where the same capital investment could achieve far greater energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions abatement., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

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Climate change projections in many regions of the world show a critical reduction in precipitation and a significant rise in temperatures in the next decades. This change may affect the operation of water utilities in arid and semi-arid parts of the globe. The Mediterranean region is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on water resources. In this paper, we reflect on the challenges that the water utility sector may experience during the upcoming decades to continue providing its essential service under the new climate scenario. Our reasoning is based on the lessons learned during the co-creation of a climate service with the water utility company of Valencia (Spain) within the framework of the EU ERA4CS project INNOVA. The joint vision of climate, water management researchers and water utility operators resulted in a multi-scale framework for evaluating the vulnerability of the water utility to climate change. The modelling framework couples water quantity and quality and their interaction in a chain of models. The proposed framework forced all parties to consider the issue of the temporal and spatial scales, and the importance of choosing and defining the boundaries of the problem. The analytical framework has three distinct elements: (1) a combination of climate projections; (2) hydrological and water resource management model of the river basin system; (3) reservoir management and water quality model. Two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 were considered in two timeframes for the analysis: the short term (2020–2040) and the medium term (2041–2069). The results show a significant reduction in water availability combined with an increased frequency and intensity of phytoplankton blooms and anoxia episodes. These changes result in the deterioration of the reservoir trophic state, shifting from ultraoligotrophic-oligotrophic (control period) to oligotrophic-mesotrophic (RCP 8.5). The example shows how the combination of models on different scales and the involvement of experts in the co-creation process can result in a customized climate service that provides valuable information to water utility operators that can be used to reduce the system’s vulnerability to climate change.

This study examines how Samoa improved the capacity of Samoa Water Authority (SWA) by implementing integrated cooperation with water utilities in Okinawa Prefecture, and hardware and software development to reduce the high non-revenue water (NRW) ratio and improve water supply quality and inadequate water pressure. Standard operation procedures were formulated to enhance the capacity of SWA. The cooperation method adopted continuous on-the-job training with a bottom-up approach. Consequently, the NRW ratio was reduced from 68 per cent to 36 per cent and water supply with proper pressure was achieved in the targeted area. The quality of the tap water, in which many coliform bacteria were detected before the cooperation, achieved 100 per cent compliance with standards. The cooperation evidenced that improving water services can help users' understanding of tariff payments, although the water tariff increased for most consumers due to a shift from fixed to metered tariff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to guarantee the sustainability of the potable water supply service, a water utility must generate improvements in its performance in an integrated manner. The objective of this research is to analyze and provide information about the components and indicators used by the water utility of Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, which directly impact water management. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Logic (FL) methodologies were applied. The study determined the trends and evolution over time from 2002 to 2017. From the combination of both methodologies, a Water Supply Management Index was obtained with an average value of 0.79, which shows positive progress for water resource management by the water utility. However, the traditional indicators are insufficient and require particular attention. The analysis helped to identify those indicators that do impact water management and their ability to measure the sustainability of the city's water utility. This may make it possible to monitor the progress toward the accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), by performing an evaluation and thorough analysis of the status of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban water utilities, facing rising demands and limited supply expansion options, increasingly partner with neighboring utilities to develop and operate shared infrastructure. Inter‐utility agreements can reduce costs via economies of scale and help limit environmental impacts, as substitutes for independent investments in large capital projects. However, unexpected shifts in demand growth or water availability, deviating from projections underpinning cooperative agreements, can introduce both supply and financial risk to utility partners. Risks may also be compounded by asymmetric growth in demand across partners or inflexibility of the agreement structure itself to adapt to changing conditions of supply and demand. This work explores the viability of both fixed and adjustable capacity inter‐utility cooperative agreements to mitigate regional water supply and financial risk for utilities that vary in size, growth expectations, and independent infrastructure expansion options. Agreements formalized for a shared regional water treatment plant are found to significantly improve regional supply reliability and financial outcomes, despite highly correlated weather and climate across neighboring supply systems (e.g., concurrent drought events). Regional improvements in performance, however, mask tradeoffs among individual agreement partners. Adjustable treatment capacity allocations add flexibility to inter‐utility agreements but can compound financial risk to each utility as a function of the decision‐making of the other partners. Often the sensitivity to partners' decision‐making under an adjustable agreement degrades financial performance, relative to agreements with fixed capacities allocated to each partner. Our results demonstrate the significant benefits cooperative agreements offer, providing a template to aid decision‐makers in the development of water supply partnerships. Key Points: Inter‐utility agreements are useful tools to help neighboring water utilities cooperate to reduce supply risks and infrastructure costsAgreements improve regional supply and financial performance versus pathways of independent action, but introduce tradeoffs among partnersAgreements with adjustable financing most expose partners to decision‐making by other utilities, increasing financial risks [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic water storage tanks are commonly used in urban centres of developing countries such as Uganda to enable reliable access to water. However, little work has been done on the conditions of domestic water storage tanks since it is assumed that water received meets the required standards and guidelines for drinking water. In 2015, over 80% of the water quality complaints raised by water utility customers in Kampala were about water from storage tanks. In this study we assessed water quality in, and conditions of, domestic storage tanks, for customers supplied by a water utility from March - August 2017 in Kampala, Uganda. Longitudinal assessment of 372 storage tanks in 6 sampled wards involved a minimum of 6 samples collected from each site in both wet and dry months of 2017. A set of guiding questions was used to establish tank conditions, with a 'yes' or 'no' response and a range of 'low' to 'critical' risk ratings. The study showed that there were three main types of storage tanks: plastic (88%), concrete (7%), and metal (5%). Of these tanks, 84% were elevated, 41% were less than 5 years old, 69% were not cleaned annually, and 88% were covered. There was a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) between tank physical conditions and quality of stored water. Wards with unplanned and industrial settlements had the highest number of tanks with contaminated water. The study therefore revealed that the physical conditions and management of domestic water storage tanks have an effect on water quality. This is important information for a water utility as it means that it is not enough to supply safe water if the quality may deteriorate upon storage at the consumer premises. A routine inspection checklist and consumer guidelines for domestic storage tank management are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water utility managers play potentially important roles in current and future transitions toward more adaptive and sustainable approaches to water management. We report the results of qualitative interviews and focus groups designed to explore the perspectives of 22 water utility managers in the United States regarding pressures, challenges, and opportunities facing their organizations and communities. Overall, the study participants characterized their jobs as requiring a delicate balance between innovation and reliability, with no room for error in delivering abundant, clean water, but opportunities for creative problem-solving and forward planning. They demonstrated capacity for embracing changes that benefit the longer term future while imposing short-term costs on their own organizations. Coding of transcripts generated 17 major themes (11 problem categories and six solution categories), which overlap meaningfully with results of previous research on resilience, adaptability, and transformability of socialecological systems. Overlapping themes include social learning and development of social capital through various forms of collaboration, communication, and citizen and stakeholder engagement, as well as capacity for innovation and sufficient authority to make decisions based on system needs without undue political interference or burdensome adherence to rigid rule structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought in the Western U.S. has elevated the need for innovative water pricing. We describe two utilities whose novel pricing structures reflect water availability and reasonable use expectations. One has a physical basis of water rights, landscape water needs, and irrigated area; the other has a hydrologic basis of an annual water supply forecast. Both utilities charge users tiered (increasing block) rates for an adjustable water allotment. The rates have proved hydrologically beneficial, socially equitable, and financially sustainable during the drought, suggesting that water pricing can be an effective policy tool for responsive water management. • Two water utilities charge users according to water allotments and tiered rates. • Allotments are based on irrigated area or water supply forecast and may be adjusted. • Rates have saved water, met basic needs, and maintained revenue during a drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multitude of pro-poor water supply interventions are continually piloted in Kenya's fast-growing urban settlements to meet national and global Millennium Development Goal targets, yet problems persist, regardless of the investments made. An evaluation is reported of four interventions by public utilities and non-governmental organizations in the low-income settlements of Nairobi, Kisumu and Nakuru, comprising: three 'distribution' interventions ('Social Connections'; 'WaterChoices Kiosks'; Prepaid Meters) and one 'supply' intervention (independently supplied boreholes), through 1,168 household surveys, records analysis, and key informant interviews. The results showed that price reduction (most evident with the prepaid meters) and accessibility is critical for customer satisfaction, with limited sustainability of all the interventions being the confounding factor. Despite showing few positive benefits (apart from the over-riding benefit of availability), 81 per cent of the consumers of borehole water continued to rely on expensive independently supplied boreholes, which were all found to supply contaminated water. In attempting to meet the rapidly growing demand, this study concludes that point source groundwater, with a bias for the poorest (by attempting to control groundwater access elsewhere), may be the transitional solution for the utility to promote in the foreseeable future, out of necessity rather than desire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water utilities render a public service that highly influences sensitive domains such as human health, society, economy, environment and policy. In the context of diversification of water uses, scarcity of water resources, pollution of surface and underground resources, energy optimisation and public funding cuts, the improvement of water utility performance represents a real challenge. A water utility is an organisation of human and material resources for the purpose of taking advantage of water resources to deliver drinking water to the population, implying a trade-off between technical, economical, financial and organisational aspects. A partial performance is commonly measured by considering each aspect separately, so a real challenge consists in developing a methodology that includes all the aspects of water utility performance using multiple indicators. The current paper is based on an original conceptual vision of the water utility as an organisation focused on the customer and built on four fundamental pillars: human resources, financial resources, assets and environment. The proposed approach uses an elicitation procedure involving the decision maker to co-build comprehensive core indicators belonging to each pillar and then calibrates them according to the context of the water utility, decision maker preferences and ad-hoc performance thresholds. In the end, performance is assessed both at the individual and overall scale. A specific metric is defined for overall performance calculation that should be monitored over a specified time period to check its trend and redefine implemented policy in the case of a downgraded situation. An illustration of the methodology is given for the water utility of Grenoble (France). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of ‘smart metering’ in demand management, customer service, labor optimization, and operational efficiency is becoming increasingly recognized by Australasian water utilities. The objectives of this paper are to provide a summary of the 2013 and 2014 surveys and in-depth interviews that were aimed at gauging the penetration of smart metering (SM) and intelligent water network (IWN) projects in Australian and New Zealand water utilities and to identify outputs and challenges faced subsequent to their implementation. The key insights are summarized as follows: • Smart meters and intelligent water networks are gaining momentum in Australasia, with at least 250,000 smart meters currently installed or planned for installation and 66% of the surveyed water businesses reporting projects underway or starting in the next 12 months. • Key business drivers were easier to quantify and justify on water system economics rather than customer engagement and satisfaction. There appears to be a business case for deployment of smart metering technology, particularly for utilities seeking to avoid costs by lowering operating costs, reducing wholesale bulk water purchases, and/or deferring augmentation of infrastructure. • Some utilities had well-advanced trials or operational rollouts, together with a similarly advanced understanding of the wider benefits of SM and IWN, while others were constrained by a lack of overall understanding and awareness of developing a business case, technology options, applications of data and the wider benefits of smart metering. • Each water utility should know and understand its business drivers and goals. The value of smart metering and the specific business case drivers are highly contextual to location (e.g., opportunities for cost avoidance). The social benefits of customer satisfaction, community acceptance, and improved customer engagement and trust were major ‘social’ drivers. • There is evidence that utilities are gaining an increased awareness of how digital metering and applying analytics of various data sets in near real-time, can benefit utility efficiency and customer service excellence. Aligned with data analytics was a clear focus towards the customer satisfaction (e.g. introducing web portals, leak alerts, two-way communications and customer consultation). • In the last 12 months there has been a doubling in the number of utilities that are pursuing intelligent water networks – the integration of intelligent devices including water meters, pressure sensors, meter data, into all relevant business processes and systems and using this information to guide strategy and investment. • As many respondents commented, there is an important need for an agreed upon and standardized set of definitions relating to smart-metering technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water supply systems (WSSs) are one of the most important and expensive core public infrastructures. The primary objective of a water supply utility is to have this valuable asset operate at its maximum possible efficiency with minimum cost throughout its design period. To achieve this objective, the first step is to evaluate the existing efficiency of all the components of the WSS using suitable performance indicators (PIs). Various agencies and organizations worldwide have developed detailed performance evaluation frameworks including several indicators to comprehensively cover all the aspects (e.g., physical asset, staffing, operational, customer satisfaction, economical) of the WSSs. Most of these frameworks and indicators have been developed for large-sized WSSs. Small- and medium-sized water supply systems (SM-WSSs) have specific performance-related issues, ranging from difficulties in collecting the data required to use the available systems of PIs to lack of skilled personnel and financial resources for efficient operations. A comprehensive review of the literature has been carried out to assess the suitability of reported performance evaluation systems for SM-WSSs in terms of their simplicity (easy and simple data requirements) and comprehensiveness (i.e., all the components of a WSS). This review also evaluates the individual PI with respect to its understandability, measurability, and comparability (i.e., within and across utility comparisons). On the basis of this detailed review, a conceptual performance evaluation system for SM-WSSs, consisting of a list of PIs grouped into their respective categories, has been proposed. The proposed system provides a stepwise approach, starting the performance evaluation process with the most significant and easy to measure PIs for small-sized WSSs and moving to a relatively complex set of indicators for SM-WSS depending on the availability of resources and specific operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the quantitative status of groundwater has always represented an attractive method of modelling development for scientific research purposes and, at the same time, an essential planning tool for water managers. Today, in addition to the traditional modelling and management applications, the quantification of groundwater resources increasingly aims at evaluating effective water bodies' health. In fact, the founding principles introduced by the most recent international directives in terms of water protection are specifically addressed to natural ecosystems' protection complying with different socio-economic conditions. In this context, Acea Ato2, a water utility operating in central Italy, here proposes the implementation of an analytical water budget model for the assessment of the groundwater potential recharge status throughout its managed area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Haitian government passed a law in 2009 to decentralize water utility management and improve cost recovery. This study identifies the attitudes of the public towards payment for and management of water and sanitation, several months after the 2010 earthquake, through a survey (N = 171) and semi-structured interviews (N = 19) in Leogane, Haiti. A majority of survey respondents were willing to pay for water and sanitation, which aligns with the fee-based approach of the 2009 law. Significant differences were found between geographic locations, suggesting that a neighbourhood-level approach to water and sanitation is appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In many African countries, public water utilities are undergoing reform characterized by the introduction of management principles and practices often associated with the private sector. On the one hand, these reforms, which can be placed under the umbrella of the New Public Management, have been promoted by a broad coalition of sector professionals, donors and lending agencies. On the other hand, the NPM-style reforms witnessed in many African countries appear to be the result of declining interest of the large international operators to venture into these countries. This article describes the nature of these reforms in two African countries, Uganda and Zambia. Although, especially in Uganda, the reforms appear to have been successful, this article concludes by raising some questions regarding the potential of NPM-style reforms in the African water and sanitation sectors. First of all, it is difficult to fully attribute the observed performance improvements to NPM-style reforms. Secondly, these reforms require pre-requisites, which do not exist in many African countries. Thirdly, even if reform is successful public water utilities remain dependent on the government and (international) donors to sustain performance improvements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The recovery of costs in water utilities is a key element in sustainability of both the provider and of the water resource itself. This paper examines the role played by consumer awareness in their willingness to pay for water supply in two cities in Zambia. Research conducted in Kitwe and Lusaka reveals that level of awareness, willingness to pay and cost recovery all vary directly. Whereas awareness may increase consumers’ willingness to pay, therefore assisting service provider’s cost recovery, the research presented here also reveals that factors such as ability to pay, affordability of bills, quality of water and of the service provided, as well as good business-consumer relations are important factors affecting a utility’s ability to recover its costs. If water utilities are to attain sustainability over the long-term, they will have to embark on and maintain consumer awareness programmes, raise the quality of service (e.g., through improved operation and maintenance), and develop and apply the right water tariff. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigates the degree of economic inefficiency of the current institutional arrangements for surface and ground water management in meeting urban water demand in the Jakarta region. A numerical model of integrated surface and ground water management is developed using GAMS (General Algebraic Modelling System) software. The model maximizes the net present value of social benefits from piped water and ground water consumption across all users over time from 1999 to 2025. Four policy scenarios are examined: the status quo, the social planner's solution, and two ground water pumping quota scenarios: an aggregate ground water pumping quota and a partial quota applied to commercial and industrial users. Three variations in each policy scenario are considered: investment in water infrastructure of the Jakarta water enterprise (PAM Jaya), water demand growth, and discount rates. The status quo, depending on the investment option, the growth of water demand, and the discount rate, results in a 7.4 to 47.8 percent loss in economic efficiency relative to the social planner's solution. The partial quota is the most feasible, applicable, and manageable scenario. The optimal investment option could increase the volume of piped water supply and reduce the cost of water production. The volume of water delivery could increase by up to 156 percent, but it implies only a 35 percent increase in the surface raw water demands above the current level. However, it does not significantly reduce cumulative ground water extraction over the time period considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network losses and returns are important issues for water resource management, that are addressed in this paper by modeling the structure of production for municipal water utilities with two outputs: water sold to final customers and water network losses. We propose a measure of economies of scope to assess the benefit associated with joint production of water for final customers and water losses, and several measures of returns to evaluate potential gains in exploiting technological flexibility of water networks. We estimate the cost structure of water utilities using a GMM procedure with a Translog cost function and panel data. Estimation results reveal a positive degree of economies of scope, and shortrun returns to production density and returns to customer density that are not significantly different from 1. Significant economies of scale indicate that local communities may benefit from merging into water districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slums, one of the main faces of urban poverty, are escalating in Sub-Saharan countries and other developing countries. Achievement of the overly ambitious Sustainable Development Goals will require cross-sectoral interventions. A good example is the Multiple Use water Services (MUS) framework, a livelihood-centred approach that is implemented in rural areas of over twenty countries, where water supply primarily designed for domestic or irrigation purposes is also used for productive uses (e.g. animal husbandry) to improve householders' livelihoods. This paper reports on a study conducted in 2017/18 in Kampala (Uganda) which adapted the existing rural-based MUS framework into a slum-specific framework. The study found that using utility-supplied water for productive uses was predominant in the slums, albeit unrecognised by the water utility. Implementation of the slum-specific MUS framework will be effective only with the water utility's recognition/support, probably as part of its philanthropic portfolio. Livelihoods-based NGOs could provide further 'software' support. • The MUS approach has worked well in rural areas to provide water for domestic and productive uses for livelihood enhancement. • Productive water uses are common in slums of cities in the developing world, but not recognised/supported by water utilities. • The Kampala case study enabled co-development of a slum-specific MUS framework, which is feasible with the utility's support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]