Performance Assessment Framework for Small Water Systems: Case Study in British Columbia
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 146, Issue 12
Abstract
This study presents a performance assessment of small water systems (SWSs) through the lens of drinking water quality management. The performance assessment is based on five criteria: treatment and disinfection; water quality issues; operators’ capabilities; infrastructure and funding; and operational characteristics. Each criterion is composed of six performance indicators. Each indicator is rated using one of the three qualitative classes, namely, good, average, and poor. The qualitative classes are later transformed into numerical scores, which are then aggregated using a weighted sum method. The aggregated scores divided by a maximum possible score in the respective performance criteria give the overall performance level for a particular water system. The proposed performance assessment framework has been demonstrated using data collected from 66 SWSs representing three types of local bodies (regional districts, municipalities, and improvement districts) in British Columbia, Canada. The respondents included operators, engineers, managers, and technicians. The results showed the overall performance level of water systems of regional districts was comparatively better, followed by municipalities, and then improvement districts.
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Data Availability Statement
The questionnaire sample and data related to sensitivity analyses are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank RES’EAU research network for financial support. A special thanks goes to Marni Turek for helping gather contacts. The authors would also like to thank the Interior Health Authority, Island Health Authority, and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority for sharing the contacts of SWSs in their respective regions. In addition, the authors would like to express their sincere gratitude toward the participated regional districts, municipalities, and improvement districts water systems operators, managers, and engineers across BC for their valuable time in responding to the questionnaire.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 146 • Issue 12 • December 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 11, 2019
Accepted: Jun 16, 2020
Published online: Sep 25, 2020
Published in print: Dec 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Feb 25, 2021
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