Performance Assessment Framework for Small Water Systems: Case Study in British Columbia

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.