INTRODUCTION

Benchmarking Of Water Services Maria João Moinante, Patrícia Silvério, Paula Freixial

Following the approval of its current organic law, ERSAR carries over the regulation of the quality of service provided to users by all water services operators in Portugal, with effect from 2011.

The regulation of the quality of service aims to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the water and waste services and benchmarking between operators is a powerful instrument to promote them. This

regulation is done by assessing the performance of the various operators.

It has been denoted the high interest in having access to and querying the results from quality of service assessment applied to all operators, which are now available, as well as in comparing operators

(for example in the same region, similar operators in terms of size, and between operators with the same typology, urban, semi-urban or rural). The potential that all the information associated with the

process of quality of service assessment has in planning, monitoring and decision-making in this sector, at national, regional or local levels, and particularly in the national strategic plan, currently being

revised, can be decisive for the sector.

This assessment involved the training by ERSAR of 800 operators technicians and conducting about 300 audits each year elaborated by a team involving around 40 auditors.

Annually, ERSAR evaluates the quality of service provided to users. This information is provided to the sector and its users through the Annual Report on Water and Waste Services in Portugal (RASARP).

METHODS DISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS

inspiring change

RESULTS

www.iwahq.org

The balance of the implementation of the quality of service assessment system to all water

services operators is very positive. In fact, became evident the great effort of adaptation

developed by operators within their organizations in order to answer effectively to this

regulatory request.

Without lessening the good work that the operators have undertaken in recent years, there are

some aspects where there are clear opportunities for improvement.

Aware of the challenges in the sector, we believe that the importance of the quality of service

assessment has been unequivocally demonstrated, not just as a powerful tool to promote the

efficiency and effectiveness of the activity performed by operators, but also as a way to

provide relevant information to all stakeholders in the sector, namely the users of these

essential public services.

References: [1] Alegre, A. et al., 2010, Guia de avaliação da qualidade dos serviços de águas e resíduos prestados aos utilizadores – 2.ª geração do sistema de avaliação, série “Guias Técnicos”, n.º 19, ERSAR (Entidade Reguladora dos

Serviços de Águas e Resíduos (www.ersar.pt); [2] Baptista, et al., 2013, Relatório Anual dos Serviços de Águas e Resíduos em Portugal (2012), Volume 3 – Avaliação da qualidade do serviço prestado aos utilizadores, ERSAR (www.ersar.pt).

The assessment of the quality of service follows a set of 2X16 performance indicators related

to drinking water supply and urban wastewater management, which allow ERSAR to regulate

by benchmarking. In order to calculate these indicators, operators should collect and submit

to ERSAR a set of internal data concerning the system they operate, during march of the

following year to which the data relate.

EXAMPLE OF BENCHMARKING BETWEEN OPERATORS

- INDICATOR AA08b – NON-REVENUE WATER - 2012

ERSAR - Entidade Reguladora dos Serviços de Águas e Resíduos (The Water and Waste Services Regulation

Authority), Portugal, www.ersar.pt; geral@ersar.pt

Phone: +351 210 052 200; Fax: +351 210 052 259

Operators from Center and Lisbon Region and Geographical Distribution in mainland Portugal

According Region, Tipology, Management Models and Sub-Models and Inhabitants Number

Evolution of the Performance – 2011/2012

Quality of Service Assessment 2012

• The findings have shown that the overall quality of service assessment of water services

operators tends to be positive

• It is indeed remarkable that the two first years of this assessment system resulted in replies

from almost all the operators and in the increase of the percentage of answers

• The index of infrastructural knowledge has already increased between 2011 and 2012,

however in 2012 this index was only half of the maximum index, due to a deficient or

inexistent updated cadastre of infrastructures in some operators

• In a general perspective, there is a need to enhance the information management in order

to improve quality of water services. Even though there is still a long way to go, the latest

results show that there is a progress in the right direction

Percentage of answers 2011/2012

Index of Infrastructural knowledge 2011/2012

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AA08b – Non-Revenue Water - Geographical

Distribution in mainland Portugal - 2012

2011 2012

AA08b - Weighted Average (%) 30,7 30,7

Operators wiht anwsers 247 253

Total number of operators 261 261

Data Reliability * (%) 19 20

Data Reliability ** (%) 14 15

Data Reliability *** (%) 67 65

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AA08b - Non-Revenue Water - Evolution of the Performance - 2011-2012