Abstract
Models approaching consumer expectations of their water supplier from a risk perspective suggest that consumers primarily and overwhelmingly want safe drinking water supply. In this study consumer preferences in the water sector are investigated in two contrasting case studies: Cyprus, where there have been significant quantity and continuity of supply issues, and Riga, where there have been water quality issues. While water quality is undoubtedly the main priority of water consumers in Riga, in Cyprus consumers indicate that they prioritise a more reliable service even though many are sufficiently dissatisfied with water quality that they do not drink the tap water. The analysis of consumer attitudes in the two case studies suggests that when water supply is unreliable, reliability takes precedence; once it is reliable quality issues come to the fore.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aini M, Fakhru’l-Razi A, Suan K (2001) Water crisis management: satisfaction level, effect and coping of the consumers. Water Resour Manag 15:31–39
Al-Ghuraiza Y, Enshassib A (2006) Customers’ satisfaction with water supply service in the Gaza Strip. Build Environ 41:1243–1250
Andey S, Kelkar P (2009) Influence of intermittent and continuous modes of water supply ono domestic water consumption. Water Resour Manag 23:2555–2566
Bates AJ (2000) Water as consumed and its impact on the consumer—do we understand the variables? Food Chem Toxicol 38:S29–S36
Burn LS, Tucker SN, Rahilly M, Davis P, Jarrett R, Po M (2003) Asset planning of water reticulation systems—the PARMS model. Water Sci Technol 31:55–62
Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (2009) 4–5. Resident population by region, city and district at the beginning of the year. Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, Riga. Available at http://data.csb.gov.lv/Dialog/varval.asp?ma=04–05a&ti=4–5.+RESIDENT+POPULATION+BY+REGION%2C+CITY+AND+DISTRICT+AT+THE+BEGINNING+OF+THE+YEAR&path=../DATABASEEN/Iedzsoc/Annual%20statistical%20data/04.%20Population/&lang=1
Coulibaly H, Rodriguez M (2004) Development of performance indicators for small Quebec drinking water utilities. J Environ Manag 73:243–255
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (2002) Survey of public attitudes to quality of life and to the environment. Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, London. Available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/pubatt/download/survey2001.pdf
Eurobarometer (2005) Services of general interest. European Commission, Brussels. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_219_report_en.pdf
European Commission Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General (2000) First report on the harmonisation of risk assessment procedures. European Commission Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General. Available at http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/ssc/out82_en.html
Eurostat (2008) Europe in figures: Eurostat yearbook 2008. Eurostat. Available at http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-CD-07-001/EN/KS-CD-07-001-EN.PDF
Falahee M, MacRae AW (1995) Consumer appraisal of drinking water: multidimensional scaling analysis. Food Qual Prefer 6:327–332
Food and Agriculture Organization (2007) Aquastat: FAO’s information system on water and agriculture. Land and Water Development Division, Food and Agriculture Organization. Available at http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/aglw/aquastat/main/index.stm
Food and Agriculture Organization (2009) Aquastat: FAO’s information system on water and agriculture. Land and Water Development Division, Food and Agriculture Organization. Available at http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/data/query/index.html
Gallup Organisation (2009) Flash Eurobarometer on water. Flash EB series #261. European Commission, Brussels
Hrudey S, Hrudey E, Pollard S (2006) Risk management for assuring safe drinking water. Environ Int 32:948–957
Institut Français de l’Environnement (2000) La préoccupation des Français pour la qualité de l’eau. Les données de l’environnement 57:1–4
Johnson B (2003) Do reports on drinking water quality affect customers’ concerns? Experiments in report content. Risk Anal 23:985–998
Joshi M, Talkhande A, Andey S, Kelkar P (2002) Urban community perception towards intermittent water supply system. Indian J Environ Health 44:118–123
Juhna T, Klavinš M (2001) Water-quality changes in Latvia and Riga 1980–2000: possibilities and problems. Ambio 30:306–314
Latvian Environment Geology and Meteorology Agency (2002). Environmental indicators in Latvia 2002. Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Agency, Riga. Available at http://www.lvgma.gov.lv/produkti/soe2002_eng/udeni/udeni.htm
Marques R, Monteiro A (2001) Application of performance indicators in water utilities management—a case-study in Portugal. Water Sci Technol 44:95–102
Martijn C, de Rooy M, Piriou E (1998) Beleving van water: adviezen voor effectieve communicatiestrategieen bij de aanpak van diffuse bronnen gebaseerd op interviews met leken. Wageninegen University and Research Centre Publications, Wageninegen
McGuire M (1995) Off-flavours as the consumer’s measure of drinking water safety. Water Sci Technol 31:1–8
Means EG, Brueck T, Dixon L, Manning A, Miles J, Patrick R (2002) Drinking water quality in the new millennium: the risk of underestimating public perception. J Am Water Works Assoc 94:28–33
Speers A, Burn S, MacDonald D, Nancarrow B, Syme G, Young M (2002) Determining customer service levels—development of a methodology: overarching report. Commonwealth Scientific Investigation and Research Organisation, Canberra. Available at http://www.myoung.net.au/water/publications/Overarching_Report_20020718.pdf
Tuhovčák L, Ručka J (2007) Hazard identification and risk analysis of water supply systems. LESAM 2007—2nd leading edge conference on strategic asset management. International Water Association, Lisbon. Available at http://www.waterrisk.cz/dokumenty/lesam_2008.pdf
Turgeon S, Rodriguez MJ, Theriault M, Levallois P (2004) Perception of drinking water in the Quebec City region (Canada): the influence of water quality and consumer location in the distribution system. J Environ Manag 70:363–373
UK Consumer Council for Water (2005) Shaping the Consumer Council for Water Nov 2005. Consumer Council for Water, Birmingham. Available at http://www.ccwater.org.uk/upload/pd/Shaping_the_Consumer_Council_for_Water_Research_Report_291105.pdf
UK Drinking Water Inspectorate (1998) Consumer consultation by DWI with relation to the 1999 periodic review: summary report on research findings. Drinking Water Inspectorate, London
UK Drinking Water Inspectorate (2000). Drinking water quality report of public perceptions in 2000. Drinking Water Inspectorate, London. Available at http://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumer/marketr/cr2000.htm
United Nations Statistics Division (2009) Social indicators: indicators on income and economic activity. United Nations Statistics Division, New York. Available at http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind/inc-eco.htm
Water Development Department (2009) Water storage in dams 1987–2008. Water Development Department, Nicosia. Available at http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/wdd/Wdd.nsf/f8ca32f24081da0ac22573e000406fff/e021804a25cbef47c2256e7e004c5306/$FILE/48.pdf
World Bank (2010) Country groups. World Bank. Available at http://go.worldbank.org/D7SN0B8YU0
World Health Organization (2006) Guidelines for drinking-water quality: incorporating first addendum. World Health Organization, Geneva
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chenoweth, J., Barnett, J., Capelos, T. et al. Comparison of Consumer Attitudes Between Cyprus and Latvia: An Evaluation of Effect of Setting on Consumer Preferences in the Water Industry. Water Resour Manage 24, 4339–4358 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-010-9662-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-010-9662-4