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Quality of service (QS) is one of the most important parameters for evaluating the performance of water companies. It is a multidimensional concept that encompasses several performance indicators, with synthetic indicators that provide useful evaluation tools. Drinking water provision and wastewater treatment are basic services for which there is a series of minimum requirements that all water companies must meet. Under this premise, this study proposes a novel synthetic indicator to evaluate the QS of water companies in two stages. First, the non-compliance index was estimated, which provides information on the degree of non-compliance for essential indicators. Second, based on the goal programming approach, each water company's strengths and weaknesses were computed to generate a QS index with rankings. The index was then tested empirically on a sample of 24 water companies in Chile based on 10 initial indicators (of which three are considered essential indicators). Overall, 37.5% of the water companies did not meet the thresholds delineated for the essential indicators. Moreover, only five water companies had a positive QS index (i.e., their strengths were greater than their weaknesses). A scenario analysis evaluated the impact of weight allocation on the QS of water companies and their ranking. The ranking of water companies varied depending on the weights allocated to the initial indicators, demonstrating the importance of delineating regulator preferences when assessing QS.
María Molinos-Senante; Laura Delgado-Antequera; Trinidad Gómez. Measuring the quality of service of water companies: A two-stage goal programming synthetic index proposal. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences 2021, 101140 .
AMA StyleMaría Molinos-Senante, Laura Delgado-Antequera, Trinidad Gómez. Measuring the quality of service of water companies: A two-stage goal programming synthetic index proposal. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences. 2021; ():101140.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría Molinos-Senante; Laura Delgado-Antequera; Trinidad Gómez. 2021. "Measuring the quality of service of water companies: A two-stage goal programming synthetic index proposal." Socio-Economic Planning Sciences , no. : 101140.
Moving to a low-carbon urban water cycle is a relevant challenge for the water industry. To realise this objective, the first step is to evaluate the carbon performance of water companies. This study proposed and applied a parametric methodology to measure the carbon efficiency and total factor carbon productivity of water companies. This methodological approach allowed us to evaluate how environmental variables influenced carbon performance of water companies. The empirical component was based on a sample of English and Welsh water and sewerage companies and water only companies during the 2010–2019 period. The results showed that the carbon footprint is a relevant issue for water companies, as the average carbon efficiency was 92.5%. However, there is room for improvement, because average total factor carbon productivity decreased over time, by 0.32% per year. Thus, additional technologies and policies should be adopted to improve the carbon performance of water companies and move to a net-zero carbon urban water cycle.
M. Molinos-Senante; A. Maziotis. Assessing the dynamic carbon performance of water companies: a parametric approach. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 2021, 1 -12.
AMA StyleM. Molinos-Senante, A. Maziotis. Assessing the dynamic carbon performance of water companies: a parametric approach. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology. 2021; ():1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Molinos-Senante; A. Maziotis. 2021. "Assessing the dynamic carbon performance of water companies: a parametric approach." International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology , no. : 1-12.
The water industry encompasses a wide variety of water companies operating with different production technologies. This study evaluated and compared changes to the productivity of several fully private water companies (FPWCs) and concessionary water companies (CWCs). Specifically, the cost Malmquist productivity index was estimated by integrating inputs, outputs and environmental variables. A non-parametric approach was used by applying data envelopment analysis. This approach allowed us to quantify the parameters driving changes to productivity as cost efficiency change (technical and allocative efficiency), cost scale efficiency and cost technical change (technical change and input price effect). Through breaking down the cost Malmquist productivity index, relevant information for supporting decision making process by water companies is possible. To further evaluate the impact of water company heterogeneity on productivity change, the changes (convergence versus divergence) to productivity between group and meta-frontiers was estimated. The approach was applied empirically on a sample of 22 water companies in Chile during 2010–2017. The results showed that the productivity of both FPWCs and CWCs improved over time, with FPWCs performing better compared to CWCs. The main drivers of productivity growth for both types of water companies were scale efficiency, technical efficiency and input price effect. Thus, water companies in Chile could improve productivity by moving to a cost-efficient allocation of their resources. The rate of productivity convergence was higher for CWCs compared to FPWCs. The approaches developed in this study provide information that could be used by water managers to better understand what drives productivity and, thus, delineate strategies to improve performance over time.
Alexandros Maziotis; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante. Changes to The Productivity of Water Companies: Comparison of Fully Private and Concessionary Water Companies. Water Resources Management 2021, 35, 3355 -3371.
AMA StyleAlexandros Maziotis, Ramon Sala-Garrido, Manuel Mocholi-Arce, Maria Molinos-Senante. Changes to The Productivity of Water Companies: Comparison of Fully Private and Concessionary Water Companies. Water Resources Management. 2021; 35 (10):3355-3371.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexandros Maziotis; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante. 2021. "Changes to The Productivity of Water Companies: Comparison of Fully Private and Concessionary Water Companies." Water Resources Management 35, no. 10: 3355-3371.
The water and sewerage industry in England and Wales had undergone several reforms since its privatization. To evaluate to what extent they had impacted on the performance of water companies, an input distance function and its derived cost share equations was estimated. This allowed measuring technical efficiency, economies of scale and cost complementarities between water and sewerage services over the period 1991–2016. The results indicate that an average water and sewerage company (WaSC) reported a technical efficiency score of 0.731 which means that its inputs could be reduced by 26.9% over time. It is also shown that an average WaSC operated under decreasing economies of scale. Cost complementarities between water and sewerage connected properties were found. This implies that WaSCs could benefit from remaining integrated, i.e. providing both water and sewerage services.
María Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. Understanding performance change of the water industry: how do size and patterns of output mix associate with efficiency? Urban Water Journal 2021, 1 -11.
AMA StyleMaría Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. Understanding performance change of the water industry: how do size and patterns of output mix associate with efficiency? Urban Water Journal. 2021; ():1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "Understanding performance change of the water industry: how do size and patterns of output mix associate with efficiency?" Urban Water Journal , no. : 1-11.
The assessment of performance of water companies is essential for their regulation. In doing so, several variables and models can be employed. This study evaluates and compares the performance of a sample of English and Welsh water companies from the operational, environmental and eco-efficiency perspectives by applying the non-radial data envelopment analysis range adjusted measure model. This methodological approach allows integrating greenhouse gas emissions as undesirable output. The results indicated that the water industry performed well from an operational perspective. However, environmental inefficiency considerably exists which illustrates the difficulties of the water companies in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The average eco-efficiency was 0.783 which means that while expanding water services, water companies could further reduce costs and carbon emissions by 11.7% on average. Other factors such as water treatment complexity and population density significantly affect water companies’ eco-efficiency. Several policy implications are finally discussed.
Ramón Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholí-Arce; María Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. Comparing Operational, Environmental and Eco-Efficiency of Water Companies in England and Wales. Energies 2021, 14, 3635 .
AMA StyleRamón Sala-Garrido, Manuel Mocholí-Arce, María Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. Comparing Operational, Environmental and Eco-Efficiency of Water Companies in England and Wales. Energies. 2021; 14 (12):3635.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamón Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholí-Arce; María Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "Comparing Operational, Environmental and Eco-Efficiency of Water Companies in England and Wales." Energies 14, no. 12: 3635.
The management of municipal solid waste sector is crucial for a sustainable circular economy. Waste utilities are expected to provide high quality solid waste services at an affordable price. The efficient management of solid waste requires its assessment from an economic and environmental perspective, i.e., eco-efficiency assessment. Although the reduction of unsorted waste incurs an economic cost, its positive externalities are huge for the well-being of society, the environment, and people. Our study quantifies the marginal cost of reducing any unsorted waste using stochastic frontier analysis techniques which allow us to estimate the eco-efficiency of the waste sector. Our empirical approach focuses on the municipal solid waste collection and recycling services provided by several waste utilities in Chile. The results indicate that substantial eco-inefficiency in the sector exists, since the average eco-efficiency score is roughly 0.5 which means that the municipalities could approximately halve their operational costs and unsorted waste to produce the same level of output. The average marginal cost of reducing unsorted waste is 32.28 Chilean pesos per ton, although notable differences are revealed among the waste utilities evaluated. The results provided by this study are of great interest to stakeholders to promote sustainable management solutions and resource efficient solid waste services.
Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. The Cost of Reducing Municipal Unsorted Solid Waste: Evidence from Municipalities in Chile. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6607 .
AMA StyleMaria Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. The Cost of Reducing Municipal Unsorted Solid Waste: Evidence from Municipalities in Chile. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (12):6607.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "The Cost of Reducing Municipal Unsorted Solid Waste: Evidence from Municipalities in Chile." Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6607.
Improving the eco-efficiency of municipalities in the provision of municipal solid waste (MSW) services is fundamental in the context of a circular economy. This study evaluates the eco-efficiency of a sample of Spanish municipalities, integrating the total cost as input, recyclable waste as desirable output, and unsorted waste as undesirable output. Following a pioneering approach, the weighted Russell directional distance model (a non-radial data envelopment analysis model) was employed, which allowed us to obtain a global inefficiency score and individual inefficiency scores for each variable integrated in the model. In the second stage of analysis, the potential factors affecting the previously computed inefficiency scores were investigated. The results indicated that one third of the municipalities evaluated were eco-efficient in the provision of MSW services with the total cost being the variable in which the municipalities exhibited the best performance. Moreover, the size of the municipalities, population served, population density, tourism, and availability of containers for separative collection of paper, glass, and plastic significantly affect the eco-efficiency of the municipalities. The findings of this study provide detailed information to support decision-making for the policy makers to improve the eco-efficiency of the municipalities in managing MSW.
Laura Delgado-Antequera; Germán Gémar; María Molinos-Senante; Trinidad Gómez; Rafael Caballero; Ramón Sala-Garrido. Eco-efficiency assessment of municipal solid waste services: Influence of exogenous variables. Waste Management 2021, 130, 136 -146.
AMA StyleLaura Delgado-Antequera, Germán Gémar, María Molinos-Senante, Trinidad Gómez, Rafael Caballero, Ramón Sala-Garrido. Eco-efficiency assessment of municipal solid waste services: Influence of exogenous variables. Waste Management. 2021; 130 ():136-146.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLaura Delgado-Antequera; Germán Gémar; María Molinos-Senante; Trinidad Gómez; Rafael Caballero; Ramón Sala-Garrido. 2021. "Eco-efficiency assessment of municipal solid waste services: Influence of exogenous variables." Waste Management 130, no. : 136-146.
Evaluating the performance and analyzing the cost drivers of water utilities is of great interest for water regulators and water sector managers. This study uses a quadratic cost function to investigate the existence of economies of scale and scope in the Chilean water and sewerage industry over the period 2010–2017. We also estimate and decompose productivity growth into technical change and scale efficiency change. Technical change is further broken into pure, non-neutral and scale-augmenting technical change. The results indicate that cost savings can be achieved by increases in the scale of production and the separation of water and sewerage services. Productivity progressed favorably throughout the whole period at an annual rate of 8.4%, which was attributed to the scale effect, the adoption of new technologies and a good allocation of resources. Some policy implications are finally discussed based on our findings.
Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. Productivity growth, economies of scale and scope in the water and sewerage industry: The Chilean case. PLOS ONE 2021, 16, e0251874 .
AMA StyleMaria Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. Productivity growth, economies of scale and scope in the water and sewerage industry: The Chilean case. PLOS ONE. 2021; 16 (5):e0251874.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "Productivity growth, economies of scale and scope in the water and sewerage industry: The Chilean case." PLOS ONE 16, no. 5: e0251874.
The water industry plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and therefore, moving to a low-carbon urban water cycle is of great importance. However, traditional performance assessment of water companies ignores GHG emissions. To overcome this limitation and to compare productivity change estimations of water companies excluding and including GHG emissions, this study computes the Luenberger productivity indicator (LPI) and the Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index (MLPI), respectively. Moreover, in a second stage, we investigate the impact of exogenous variables on environmentally sensitive productivity change estimations. The empirical application conducted for a sample of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales over the period 201–2019 has illustrated that when GHG emissions were considered in the assessment (i.e., MLPI estimations), average productivity decreased. By contrast, when productivity estimation ignored GHG emissions (i.e., LPI), average productivity increased. Hence, it is concluded that the inclusion of GHG emissions in productivity analysis impacted the results. This finding is very relevant from a policy perspective as it illustrates the importance of considering GHG emissions when evaluating the performance of water companies for regulatory purposes.
Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. The impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the performance of water companies: a dynamic assessment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2021, 1 -14.
AMA StyleMaria Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. The impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the performance of water companies: a dynamic assessment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021; ():1-14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "The impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the performance of water companies: a dynamic assessment." Environmental Science and Pollution Research , no. : 1-14.
In regulated industries, such as the water industry, it is of great significance to estimate productivity change as it helps policy makers to evaluate the effectiveness of regulatory regime and industry performance. In this paper, and for the first time, a translog input distance function was used to estimate and decompose productivity change into several components such as technical efficiency change, scale efficiency change, input-mix, and technical change. A further decomposition of technical change into neutral, output- and input-induced shifts of the frontier is provided. The above decomposition was applied to the English and Welsh water and sewerage companies and water only companies over the years 1993–2016. The results indicated that over the entire period water industry’s productivity increased by 9% per year, mainly due to scale efficiency change, input mix and technical change. On average water only companies reported higher productivity gains than water and sewerage companies.
Alexandros Maziotis; María Molinos-Senante; Ramón Sala-Garrido. Drivers of productivity change: a comparison of English and Welsh water only and water and sewerage companies. Urban Water Journal 2021, 18, 342 -351.
AMA StyleAlexandros Maziotis, María Molinos-Senante, Ramón Sala-Garrido. Drivers of productivity change: a comparison of English and Welsh water only and water and sewerage companies. Urban Water Journal. 2021; 18 (5):342-351.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexandros Maziotis; María Molinos-Senante; Ramón Sala-Garrido. 2021. "Drivers of productivity change: a comparison of English and Welsh water only and water and sewerage companies." Urban Water Journal 18, no. 5: 342-351.
Assessing the productivity change of water companies provides relevant information for both water regulators and companies’ managers. Past research has illustrated that different indicators and indexes have been applied although not all of them are equally reliable. Thus, this study evaluates the total factor productivity (TFP) change and its drivers employing the Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen productivity indicator (LHMPI) including, for the first time, quality of service variables as undesirable outputs. Moreover, unlike the previous studies, LHMPI was decomposed into three drivers; namely technical change, technical efficiency change and scale efficiency change. Our empirical application conducted on a sample of Chilean water companies over 2007–2018 embracing full private water companies (FPWCs) and concessionary water companies (CWCs). Results evidenced that, on average, TFP increased at an annual rate of 2.2%, mainly due to outputs rise. The main driver of productivity growth was scale efficiency change suggesting that adjustments in the water companies’ scale of operations could lead to lower operational costs. It was also evidenced that FPWCs performed better than CWCs over the period analyzed.
Alexandros Maziotis; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante. Total factor productivity assessment of water and sanitation services: an empirical application including quality of service factors. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2021, 1 -12.
AMA StyleAlexandros Maziotis, Ramon Sala-Garrido, Manuel Mocholi-Arce, Maria Molinos-Senante. Total factor productivity assessment of water and sanitation services: an empirical application including quality of service factors. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021; ():1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexandros Maziotis; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante. 2021. "Total factor productivity assessment of water and sanitation services: an empirical application including quality of service factors." Environmental Science and Pollution Research , no. : 1-12.
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions involves effort from different sectors of the economy, including the water and sewerage industry. This study estimates the marginal cost of curtailing GHG emissions in the water and sewerage industry using stochastic frontier analysis techniques for a sample of ten English and Welsh water and sewerage companies over the 2010–2019 period. Results illustrated that the average marginal cost of reducing GHG emissions was 0.181 £/Kg CO2 equivalent. The marginal cost estimated notably differs across companies and over time. Findings further illustrate the impact of water companies' operating characteristics on the marginal cost of reducing carbon emissions.
Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. Assessing the marginal cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the English and Welsh water and sewerage industry: A parametric approach. Utilities Policy 2021, 70, 101193 .
AMA StyleRamon Sala-Garrido, Manuel Mocholi-Arce, Maria Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. Assessing the marginal cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the English and Welsh water and sewerage industry: A parametric approach. Utilities Policy. 2021; 70 ():101193.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "Assessing the marginal cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the English and Welsh water and sewerage industry: A parametric approach." Utilities Policy 70, no. : 101193.
Analyzing costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be of great importance for the water utilities to supply water services in a healthy and sustainable manner. In this study, we measured the eco-efficiency of several water utilities in England and Wales by incorporating GHG as an undesirable output. For the first time, we evaluated the eco-efficiency of the water production process using robust cross-efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques. The further use of clustering and regression techniques allowed us to better understand the drivers of eco-efficiency. The results showed that the mean eco-efficiency of the water sector was 0.748, which indicates that costs and GHG emissions could be reduced by 25.2% to generate the same level of output. Large water companies with high energy costs and levels of GHG emissions belonged to the less eco-efficient group. Environmental factors related to density, topography, and treatment complexity further impacted eco-efficiency. Finally, we linked our results to the regulatory cycle and discuss some policy implications.
Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante; Michail Smyrnakis; Alexandros Maziotis. Eco-Efficiency of the English and Welsh Water Companies: A Cross Performance Assessment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18, 2831 .
AMA StyleRamon Sala-Garrido, Manuel Mocholi-Arce, Maria Molinos-Senante, Michail Smyrnakis, Alexandros Maziotis. Eco-Efficiency of the English and Welsh Water Companies: A Cross Performance Assessment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18 (6):2831.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante; Michail Smyrnakis; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "Eco-Efficiency of the English and Welsh Water Companies: A Cross Performance Assessment." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 6: 2831.
The assessment of the productivity change of water utilities provides essential information to sector managers and regulators. This study uses the Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen Productivity Indicator (LHMPI) to evaluate productivity change as it can be further decomposed into three components namely technical change (TC), technical efficiency change (TEC), and scale efficiency change (SEC). This study evaluates the productivity of several water companies in England and Wales from 2001 to 2018. We found that productivity declined 1.2% per year due to the use of inputs that increased by 1.4% per year relative to outputs that increased by 0.2% per year.
Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. Water company productivity change: A disaggregated approach accounting for changes in inputs and outputs. Utilities Policy 2021, 70, 101190 .
AMA StyleManuel Mocholi-Arce, Ramon Sala-Garrido, Maria Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. Water company productivity change: A disaggregated approach accounting for changes in inputs and outputs. Utilities Policy. 2021; 70 ():101190.
Chicago/Turabian StyleManuel Mocholi-Arce; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "Water company productivity change: A disaggregated approach accounting for changes in inputs and outputs." Utilities Policy 70, no. : 101190.
Water leakage in the urban water cycle involves relevant economic, social, and environmental negative impacts. Thus, reducing water leakage is a key challenge for both water regulators and water companies. This study estimated the evolution (2007–2015) of the marginal cost of improving the quality of service in terms of water leakage in the Chilean water industry, which involves full private, concessionary, and public water companies. In water companies, management skills and efforts play an important role in meeting water leakage targets. Thus, this study employed a cost frontier model where it was assumed that unobserved management ability interacts with output and water leakage factors. The results reveal high levels of cost efficiency for the average water company. Management increases outputs and reduces water leakage and, thus, has a positive impact on costs and efficiency. The marginal cost of reducing water leakage is higher for the public water company than for private and concessionary water companies. The average estimated marginal cost of reducing water leakage was 0.349 €/m3, which means that a water company has to spend an extra 0.349 € in operating costs to avoid a cubic meter of water leakage. Some policy implications were discussed based on the results of this study.
Maria Molinos-Senante; Andres Villegas; Alexandros Maziotis. Measuring the marginal costs of reducing water leakage: the case of water and sewerage utilities in Chile. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2021, 28, 32733 -32743.
AMA StyleMaria Molinos-Senante, Andres Villegas, Alexandros Maziotis. Measuring the marginal costs of reducing water leakage: the case of water and sewerage utilities in Chile. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021; 28 (25):32733-32743.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaria Molinos-Senante; Andres Villegas; Alexandros Maziotis. 2021. "Measuring the marginal costs of reducing water leakage: the case of water and sewerage utilities in Chile." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28, no. 25: 32733-32743.
The collection of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a public service with notable effects on the environment and public health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of selective collection and recycling of MSW on the performance of municipalities in providing MSW services. By employing the data envelopment analysis method, the efficiency and eco-efficiency scores for a sample of 298 municipalities in Chile were analyzed and compared. The efficiency estimation focused on the economic performance of the municipalities in the provision of MSW services, whereas the eco-efficiency assessment also integrated the environmental performance. The results indicated that the selective collection and recycling of MSW had a significant impact on the performance of the municipalities in providing these services. The percentages of efficient and eco-efficient municipalities were very low (4.70% and 4.36%, respectively), thus demonstrating the large room for performance improvement by Chilean municipalities in the management of MSW. The efficient and eco-efficient municipalities were heterogeneously distributed throughout the country, revealing the lack of collaboration between municipalities at the regional level. Finally, exogenous variables to the management of MSW carried out by the municipalities, including the population served, population density, tourism and waste generated per capita, all had an impact on the efficiency and eco-efficiency scores. The results and conclusions of this study are of great relevance for policy makers at the regional and local levels to improve the management of MSW in the context of a circular economy.
Paula Llanquileo-Melgarejo; María Molinos-Senante; Giulia Romano; Laura Carosi. Evaluation of the Impact of Separative Collection and Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste on Performance: An Empirical Application for Chile. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2022 .
AMA StylePaula Llanquileo-Melgarejo, María Molinos-Senante, Giulia Romano, Laura Carosi. Evaluation of the Impact of Separative Collection and Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste on Performance: An Empirical Application for Chile. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2022.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaula Llanquileo-Melgarejo; María Molinos-Senante; Giulia Romano; Laura Carosi. 2021. "Evaluation of the Impact of Separative Collection and Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste on Performance: An Empirical Application for Chile." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2022.
Evaluating the quality of service (QS) provided by water companies is essential to benchmark and regulate them. Composite indicators (CIs) are a useful tool for this as they consist of aggregated multiple performance indicators in a single index, providing a holistic assessment of the QS of water companies. In this study, the novel ‘benefit of doubt’ methodology was used in order to evaluate the QS of a sample of Chilean water companies, by computing CIs that integrate both direct and reverse indicators. Moreover, the estimation of the Nerlove–Luenberger super-efficiency CI allowed for the ranking of water companies based on their QS. Results showed that, on average, Chilean water companies provide water and sewerage services with high quality, as the mean CI of the QS estimated was 0.93. Nevertheless, the QS of 2 of the 24 water companies evaluated stood out remarkably. The second-stage analysis conducted revealed that the ownership and peak factor of water companies and water consumed by customers affects the QS of water companies. The methodological approach followed in this study to evaluate the QS of water companies would be very useful for water regulators, as the CI computed integrates both desirable and undesirable outputs.
Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholí-Arce; María Molinos-Senante. Assessing the Quality of Service of Water Companies: a ‘Benefit of the Doubt’ Composite Indicator. Social Indicators Research 2021, 155, 371 -387.
AMA StyleRamon Sala-Garrido, Manuel Mocholí-Arce, María Molinos-Senante. Assessing the Quality of Service of Water Companies: a ‘Benefit of the Doubt’ Composite Indicator. Social Indicators Research. 2021; 155 (1):371-387.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholí-Arce; María Molinos-Senante. 2021. "Assessing the Quality of Service of Water Companies: a ‘Benefit of the Doubt’ Composite Indicator." Social Indicators Research 155, no. 1: 371-387.
The assessment of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) performance has gained the interest of water utilities and water regulators. Eco-efficiency has been identified as a powerful indicator, as it integrates economic and environmental variables into a single index. Most previous studies have employed traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) for the evaluation of WWTP eco-efficiency. However, DEA allows the selection of input and output weights for individual WWTPs for the calculation of eco-efficiency scores. To overcome this limitation, we employed the double-frontier and common set of weights methods to evaluate the eco-efficiency of a sample of 30 WWTPs in Spain. The WWTPs were ranked based on eco-efficiency scores derived under several scenarios including best- and worst-case scenarios; this approach to performance assessment is reliable and robust. Twenty-six of the 30 WWTPs were not classified as eco-efficient, even under the most favorable scenario, indicating that these facilities have substantial room for the reduction of costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The ranking of WWTPs varied according to the scenario used for evaluation, which has notable consequences when eco-efficiency scores are used for regulatory purposes. The findings of this study are relevant for water regulators and water utilities, as they demonstrate the importance of weight allocation for eco-efficiency score estimation.
Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Trinidad Gómez; Maria Molinos-Senante; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Rafael Caballero. Evaluating the Eco-Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants: Comparison of Optimistic and Pessimistic Approaches. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10580 .
AMA StyleManuel Mocholi-Arce, Trinidad Gómez, Maria Molinos-Senante, Ramon Sala-Garrido, Rafael Caballero. Evaluating the Eco-Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants: Comparison of Optimistic and Pessimistic Approaches. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10580.
Chicago/Turabian StyleManuel Mocholi-Arce; Trinidad Gómez; Maria Molinos-Senante; Ramon Sala-Garrido; Rafael Caballero. 2020. "Evaluating the Eco-Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants: Comparison of Optimistic and Pessimistic Approaches." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10580.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a major challenge faced by cities seeking to improve their environmental sustainability. Doing so requires a good understanding of the costs associated with lowering emissions and factors that may influence this cost. This study estimated the marginal abatement cost of reducing both direct and indirect CO2 emissions in the provision of drinking water by several water companies in England and Wales. The results indicated that during the years 2013–2018, the average cost to the English and Welsh water industry to prevent 1 kg of CO2 emissions was 0.264₤ which was equivalent to 61% of the price of the delivered drinking water The results of the Morishima elasticity of substitution between water delivered and carbon emissions revealed that on average it was costly for the water companies to reduce CO2 emissions. Furthermore, a positive correlation existed between the marginal abatement cost of CO2 and a set of company's operational factors. These included: i) water taken from boreholes and reservoirs, ii) high levels of drinking water treatment, and iii) the need for pumping to abstract, treat, and distribute drinking water. Finally, policy implications were discussed based on these findings.
Ramon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. Marginal abatement cost of carbon dioxide emissions in the provision of urban drinking water. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2020, 25, 439 -449.
AMA StyleRamon Sala-Garrido, Manuel Mocholi-Arce, Maria Molinos-Senante, Alexandros Maziotis. Marginal abatement cost of carbon dioxide emissions in the provision of urban drinking water. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2020; 25 ():439-449.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRamon Sala-Garrido; Manuel Mocholi-Arce; Maria Molinos-Senante; Alexandros Maziotis. 2020. "Marginal abatement cost of carbon dioxide emissions in the provision of urban drinking water." Sustainable Production and Consumption 25, no. : 439-449.
In the original publication, the given name and the family name of all the authors were swapped. It has been updated in this correction. DICAM, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale e Meccanica, Università di Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38122, Trento, Italy Livia Serrao, Marco Bezzi & Marco Ragazzi Departamento de Ingeniería Hidráulica y Ambiental, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna, 4860, Santiago, Chile María Molinos-Senante You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar Correspondence to María Molinos-Senante. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Reprints and Permissions Serrao, L., Molinos-Senante, M., Bezzi, M. et al. Correction to: Assessment of wastewater reuse potential for irrigation in rural semi-arid areas: the case study of Punitaqui, Chile. Clean Techn Environ Policy (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-020-01946-4 Download citation Published: 27 September 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-020-01946-4
Livia Serrao; María Molinos-Senante; Marco Bezzi; Marco Ragazzi. Correction to: Assessment of wastewater reuse potential for irrigation in rural semi-arid areas: the case study of Punitaqui, Chile. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 2020, 22, 2231 -2231.
AMA StyleLivia Serrao, María Molinos-Senante, Marco Bezzi, Marco Ragazzi. Correction to: Assessment of wastewater reuse potential for irrigation in rural semi-arid areas: the case study of Punitaqui, Chile. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. 2020; 22 (10):2231-2231.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLivia Serrao; María Molinos-Senante; Marco Bezzi; Marco Ragazzi. 2020. "Correction to: Assessment of wastewater reuse potential for irrigation in rural semi-arid areas: the case study of Punitaqui, Chile." Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 22, no. 10: 2231-2231.