AWWA JAW60118 PDF

Water services and utilities in industrialized countries have recently changed from being supply-oriented to being demand- and customer-oriented. A study of four Finnish utilities showed that customers expect more information about their services and utilities than they are currently receiving. Yet in Finland few customers are involved in utility operations and decision-making. Although some water utilities are already fairly customer-oriented, they are still far from true customer-responsiveness, in which customers are recognized as full stakeholders. Should private ownership and operation of water utilities be strongly promoted worldwide, customers' interests may easily be forgotten. Also, changes in utility operations brought about by security concerns and infrastructure vulnerability issues may force utility managers to re-think customer involvement and open public information strategies. In the future, the provision of water services will be based more on the ethics, values, rights, responsibilities, and expectations of all relevant stakeholders.