Performance Benchmarking of Water Supply Systems in Kandahar City using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

Two Water Supply Systems (WSSs) have been operating and providing drinking water services to two discrete districts, namely, Second Ayno Maina (AM-WSS), District 10, owned and managed by a private sector: AFCO Corporation, and Central Kandahar (CK-WSS), Share-Naw, District 2, owned and managed by government entity: Department of Kandahar Water Supply and Sewerage, for four and ten years respectively. Both the WSSs use groundwater as source of drinking water, and due to overpopulation and urbanization, they tend to expand their services and improve their performances, despite the fact that the primary step to do so is the performance assessment of the existing systems, lacking at the moment and needs a careful consideration. Therefore, the research study is aimed at assisting the responsible authorities of the performances being carried by their existing systems and satisfaction level of their customers against the services provided, along with their international comparisons, with similar-typed associated water supply schemes. Two sets of primary data were collected, including service-provider-driven and customer-driven, from relevant authorities and districts respectively. More specifically, for consumer-driven data collection, 66 and 75 questionnaires were distributed to the consumers of (AM-WSS) and (CK-WSS) respectively. Both the data set was classified as the input and output performance indicators (PIs), and was analyzed using SPSS, DEAP and Ms. Excel softwares, in compliance with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology. The findings showed that (AM-WSS) had a relative technical efficiency, te of 1 (100 %), whereas CK-WSS had a te of 0.545. As a result, CK-WSS was the only System considered and recommended for amendments. Furthermore, the analysis of the findings showed that CK-WSS needed to focus on decreasing the staff size and total expenditure by 45 % to comply with optimization. The team recommends to train their personnel and reduce the number by 45 %, and additionally recommends to collect, keep and register all the necessary data of the schemes in an organized manner for future demands, plans, rehabilitation, performance, and improvements of the corresponding components of their systems.