DACH+NL Working Groupon Benchmarking

Performance and cost indicators for thecomparison of wastewater disposal

services on international scale

Performance and cost indicators for thePerformance and cost indicators for thecomparison of wastewater disposalcomparison of wastewater disposal

services on international scaleservices on international scale

Dr. Stefan BinggeliINFRAconcept, Berne

Initial Situation

• Wastewater disposal is an important publicservice.

• The right of political decision makers, authoritiesand citizens to get access to transparentinformation about services rendered and costs.

• Large number of national and/or regionalbenchmarking projects in Germany, Austria, TheNetherlands and Switzerland.

• Today, performance and cost indicators used inthose projects are not comparable.

DACH+NL Working Group on BenchmarkingObjectivesObjectives

• Define a system of aggregated key parameters forwastewater disposal with high politicalsignificance.

• System provides an overview in larger areas:Nations, federal states, cantons, regions, etc.

• Transparent, comprehensive, broadly applicableand easy to collect.

• Target Group: Citizens, politicians

Less than 20 cost & performanceindicators

Less than 20 cost & performanceindicators

DACH+NL Working Group on Benchmarking

• Information exchangeNetherlandRioned /

Unie

• Dr. Bruno Bangerter (Chairman)• Dr. Stefan Binggeli

SwitzerlandVSA

• Dr. Stefan Lindtner• Dr. Ing. Thomas Ertl

AustriaÖWAV

• Dr. Ing. Karl Arno Bäumer• Dipl. Wirtschaftsing. Oliver Hug• Dipl. Ing. Peter Graf• Dipl. Biol. Sabine Thaler (Coord. office)

GermanyDWA

Group membersGroup members

DACH+NLCost and PI

Accounting, Annual Reporting,Comparative Measurements, Monitoring

Data, etc.

Process-Benchmarking(national / international)

Large areasurveys

WWTPLocal Authorities

The DACH+NL Approach:

OECDDepartements,Federal Authorities,Politicians, CitizensDepartements,Federal Authorities,Politicians, Citizens

WWTP

PI key set:Definitions

Aggregation of available dataAggregation of available data

PIKey set

PIKey set

Wastewater collection & treatment

65 Є / P (sewer system)Source:Urban Drainage Statistics

129 Є / PSource :Branchenbild DWA

109 Є / PECOD,12060 Є / PECOD120 (sewer system)Source:Kennzahlenprojekt VSA

121 Є / PECOD,120Source:Benchmarking ÖWAV

Total costs (published data, 2004/2005)Total costs (published data, 2004/2005)

Legend:PECOD mean = Mean loading, expressed as population equivalents.

Spec. loading per PE = 120g COD per day.Lsewer = Total lenght of all public sewers systemsPECODcapacity = Design capacity of a WWTP, expressed as population equivalents.

Monetary Performance Indicators

€ / PECODmean€ / PECODmean€ / PECODmeanSum

€ / PECODmean€ / PECODcapacity

€ / PECODmean€ / PECODcapacity

€ / PECODmean€ / PECODcapacity

Wasterwatertreatment

€ / PECODmean€ / Lsewer

€ / PECODmean€ / Lsewer

€ / PECODmean€ / Lsewer

Wastewatercollection

Total CostsCapital CostsOperating Costs

Overview

Definitions

= ΣCCsewer / ΣPECODmean (in €/PE y)

= ΣCCsewer/Lsewer (in €/m and year)

Definition ofperformanceindicator

- Depreciation and interest costs for theoperation of the wastewater collectionsystems

- PTCODmean- Lsewer

Requiredreferenceparameters

Includes all depreciation and interest costs ofwastewater collection […]

CommentaryPI 1.2: Specific capital costs of wastewater collection

Example

6 (=7%) WwTP (>50‘000inh.) processing 60% ofwastewater

WWTP’s State of Berne, Switzerland

Characterise larger catchment areasTotal costs of wastewater disposal

-

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

100 - 1'000 1'000 - 10'000 10'000 - 50'000 > 50'000Size of catchment area ( PT COD mean)

CHF

Small numberof WWTPs“efficient”

Important numberof small WWTPs

“expensive”

Characterise larger catchment areasWeighted average values

1. Add up the operating and capital expenses forwastewater collection, transport and treatment forall WWTP

2. Determine the load as number of populationequivalents PT of all WWTPs.� Derive specific annual costs from the quotient.

Total costs of wastewater disposal

Gesamtkosten ARA und Kanal pro EWCSB,m

-101030507090

110130150170190

DACH

AT CH DE (DWA) DE (1) DE (2)

Є / PECODmean

Important errors occur(compensating each other)!

Important errors occur(compensating each other)!

Calculation of capital costs:CH, AT: Replacement costsDE: Initial/production valueAT: Life span sewers: 40 y !CH: Life span sewers: 80 y !

Calculation of capital costs:CH, AT: Replacement costsDE: Initial/production valueAT: Life span sewers: 40 y !CH: Life span sewers: 80 y !

Wastewater treatment operating costsDACH

AT CH DE (DWA) DE (1) DE (2)

Є / PECODmean Relevance of data source:Data from process-benchmarking

projects (CH / AT / DE) : No significantdifferences !

Data from corporate metricbenchmarking projects / area surveys

(DE): Important differences� Accurate cost assignment difficult

Relevance of data source:Data from process-benchmarking

projects (CH / AT / DE) : No significantdifferences !

Data from corporate metricbenchmarking projects / area surveys

(DE): Important differences� Accurate cost assignment difficult

Capital costs wastewater collectionDACH

AT CH DE (2)

Є / PECODmean

Insufficient data bases !Insufficient data bases !

Encountered difficulties

• How to determine the capital costs: Presentvalues of replacement investments (CH, AT) orinitial cost / production costs (DE) ?

• Span of useful life (NL: sewers 40 y, CH 80 y)• Interest rate: Imputed (AT) or real interest rate

(DE) ?• Consideration of administrative expenses• No classification of the scale of catchment area

possible• ....

Comparison on an international scale

Non-monetary performance indicatorsOverview

Treatment performance N in %

Treatment performance COD in %

Treatment performance (oxygendemand/nutrient load class accordingto the DWA

Treatment performance according toÖWAV

Quality

Level of connection to sewer or WWTPCustomerservice

Non-monetary performance indicatorsOverview

Mean level of capacity utilisationwastewater treatment plants

Size structure of wastewatertreatment plants

Sewage sludge utilisation anddisposal

Structure andTechnology

Annual rate of sewer renewalSustainability

Rate of sewer length requiringrehabilitation

Safety

Diffusion process

• Costs of wastewater disposal: 2004, 2010

• ÖWAV Process benchmarking project forWWTP & wastewater collection

• DWA: Economic data relating to wastewaterdisposal

• Overview of the water management sector• Report: Corporate-Metric Benchmarking as

Component of the Modernisation Strategy• Process and corporate metric benchmarking

projects on federal states level

DACH + NL definitions used