SWAN Compares International Water Regulators for First Time

London, October 29, 2015 (Newswire.com) - In the recent SWAN Global Utility Survey, customer service was ranked the number one business driver by water utilities, cited by 76% of respondents. However, what differentiates high quality service from poor quality service, and how are utilities measured by their performance? Today, The Smart Water Networks Forum (SWAN) released a new white paper examining how five, international water regulators in Australia, Brazil, The Netherlands, UK, and U.S., uniquely benchmark and incentivise their utility operators to improve the quality of service.

Each global water regulator has innovative incentive strategies, which can be leveraged by other water regulators. For example, in Australia, the State of Victoria uses the “mystery caller” technique to evaluate call center performance based on the operators’ greeting manner. In Brazil, winners of the National Sanitation Quality Award are hosted in an elaborate gala award ceremony. The water regulator in the Netherlands directly surveys nearly 12,000 customers, while U.S. utilities can develop their own benchmarking exercises or be guided by an association’s voluntary assessment program. In contrast, UK water companies must propose long-term, outcomes with linked financial rewards and penalties needed to deliver high customer satisfaction.

"In developing this report, SWAN has recognised the vital role of water regulators in driving utilities to improve their overall performance," said Amir Peleg, SWAN Chairman, Founder and CEO of TaKaDu. "Customer service incentives will lead to 'Smart Water' initiatives as utilities are required to stay better informed about their customers and network operations as a whole."

Amir Cahn, Director of Research & Business Development

The full report is only available to SWAN Forum members. Membership details can be found at www.swan-forum.com

About SWAN

SWAN, the Smart Water Networks Forum, is a worldwide industry forum promoting the development and adoption of data technologies in water networks, making them smarter, more efficient, and sustainable. SWAN members include technology innovators, water utilities, engineering and consulting firms, academics, researchers, and investors – leveraging the power of industry collaboration to advance the water sector. A not-for-profit organisation, SWAN has the unique ability to share its members’ diverse experience, develop its own research, and help shape industry standards.

Contact Details

Amir Cahn
​Director of Research & Business Development SWAN Forum
[email protected]