A Contribution to Increasing Efficiency in the Water Utility Sector—A Case Study in Kosovo

Shpetim Lajqi, Bojan Ðurin (), Gjelosh Vataj () and Domagoj Nakic
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Shpetim Lajqi: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo
Bojan Ðurin: Department of Civil Engineering, University North, 42000 Varazdin, Croatia
Gjelosh Vataj: Faculty of Engineering and Informatics, University of Applied Sciences, 70000 Ferizaj, Kosovo
Domagoj Nakic: Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: Due to the rise in energy and water consumption, especially via water losses in water supply systems, it is imperative to reduce and eliminate such problems. Nowadays, commercial efficiency problems are present throughout the world, but in countries with a lower level of development, they have a considerable presence. Therefore, Kosovo, as such a country, has serious problems regarding commercial efficiency in the water sector. Improving performance involves sharing best practices to reduce water losses and improve collection rates. Water losses in Kosovo range from 55 to 61% of water production. Besides water losses, water utilities in Kosovo also have a low collection rate, ranging from 61% to 93% of issued invoices. Alongside these levels of non-revenue water and low collection rates, only 33.55 to 56.73% of produced water generates income. Improvement may be possible through profiling the consumption of large customers, calibrating and installing water meters with high accuracy, reading water materials with handheld devices, improving pressure management, finding illegal connections, selling a proportion of old debts, replacing old pipes with modern materials, etc.

Keywords: commercial efficiency of the water sector; water loss; pressure management; water meter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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