Infrastructure Conditions and Service Quality in Rural Drinking Water Systems: A Cluster Analysis of Community-Based Organizations in Chile

In many countries, the drinking water provision in rural areas is in the charge of the users themselves, who constitute rural water supply services (RWS) to operate and maintain the public infrastructure provided by the State. However, in practice, the condition of the components of the implied infrastructure managed by RWS varies considerably, which has important implications for delivering high-quality service. This case study explores the nexus among infrastructure conditions, performance outcomes, and organization characteristics using the case of Chile. Using representatives’ assessments from 406 RWS regarding the need for the replacement of several components of their system’s infrastructure, an index of infrastructure conditions was constructed and subjected to a cluster analysis that identified three dissimilar groups of RWS. The top condition cluster represents a reference group (benchmark) that exhibits the highest scores in water quality, quantity, and delivery reliability, which highlights the association between infrastructure conditions and performance outcomes. In addition, a comparison of RWS attributes of these three clusters allowed us to characterize them in terms of structural, organizational, management, and environmental variables. This study sheds light on the role of RWS infrastructure in enabling these organizations to deliver high-quality service, and the findings serve to guide policy actions and tailored planning. The methodology presented here can be applied in other regions beyond that of the case study because it represents a low-cost tool to measure the infrastructure condition of RWS based on representatives’ assessments and is an effective and practical way to distinguish RWS most in need of support.

In many countries worldwide, the provision of drinking water in rural areas is in charge of the users themselves using public infrastructure provided by the government. This case study, in the context of Chilean rural water supply services (RWS), empirically verified that adequate infrastructure condition and a high quality of service are correlated. If the infrastructure components become damaged or obsolete, a series of events that threaten the quality of service can occur. These issues may encompass distribution and treatment problems and, even worse, service interruptions. Such challenges can have adverse impacts on the health and well-being of rural communities, so it is imperative to identify typologies of RWS infrastructure conditions to formulate targeted strategies and prioritize public investments. The results of this case study, based on a large sample of 406 RWS, offer an insightful classification of organizations into three distinct groups in terms of their infrastructure conditions. The findings underscore the close relationship between infrastructure conditions and the quality of the service delivered. Additionally, the study characterizes these groups in terms of structural, organizational, operation and management, and environmental aspects, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making.