In this paper we present a methodology within the multi-criteria paradigm to assist policy decision-making on water management for irrigation. In order to predict farmers’ response to policy changes a separate multi-attribute utility function for each homogeneous group, attained applying cluster analysis, is elicited. The results of several empirical applications of this methodology suggest an ...

Abstract Water pricing is a demand management strategy to address the looming challenge of greater water scarcity in arid regions. Much literature on residential rates focuses evaluating impact household conservation. A separate, but rarely addressed question what motivates utility select particular rate structure and timing doing so. We assess utilities’ decisions adopt pro-conservation struct...

The aim of this study is to analyze the urban water cycle in the Turin Metropolitan Area (Northwestern Italy), with a focus on quantifying the annual life cycle energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The study made use Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment methods for a defined urban water cycle system (ATO3) operated by one water utility (SMAT S.p.A.), and examines all mai...

Regulators can utilize a number of alternative methodologies for comparing firm efficiency, but these approaches need to be robust to be accepted by stakeholders. This study evaluates the consistency of water utility performance rankings for Peruvian water utilities. The results indicate that Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Stochastic Frontier Analysis yield similar rankings in this case. I...

In 2017, urban water retailers in California reported 364 million m3 real losses within their distribution systems, representing on average 7.12% of total delivered that year. Recognizing the value these losses, State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) has proposed setting economic loss reduction standards—regulatory levels—that are individually tailored based utility-specific data. Our resea...