Individual Perceptions and the Performance of Community Based Drinking Water Organizations

Abstract

"This paper presents an analysis of the underlying factors affecting the satisfaction of people with drinking-water quality provided by community-based organizations in rural areas of Costa Rica. These organizations provide water to more than 60 percent of the total rural population. There is, however, a great disparity in their performance, in particular regarding to the quality of water provided. Using an ordered probit regression and data from 41 villages, we studied how characteristics of the infrastructure, the governance structure and the attributes of local people affect the perception of water consumers with water quality at home. We found that size and age of the infrastructure; accountability mechanisms and public disclosure of information; demand responsiveness; as well as the human capital of the members of the local water committee; are the main predictors of the capacity of local organizations to satisfy the needs of consumers in terms of water quality."