6533b85ffe1ef96bd12c2630

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Productivity of wastewater treatment plants in the Valencia Region of Spain

F. Hernández-sanchoR. FuentesT. Torregrosa-martí

subject

EngineeringIndex (economics)Sociology and Political Science020209 energy02 engineering and technology010501 environmental sciencesManagement Monitoring Policy and LawDevelopment01 natural sciencesAgricultural scienceMalmquist indexWastewater treatment plants0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineeringData envelopment analysisResource managementBusiness and International ManagementValenciaProductivityProductivity0105 earth and related environmental sciencesbiologybusiness.industryEnvironmental engineeringEconomía Aplicadabiology.organism_classificationBootstrapSewage treatmentbusinessMalmquist index

description

Abstract This study analyses the evolution of productivity over the 2008–2012 period for a homogenous set of 199 wastewater treatment plants that are located in the Valencia Region of Spain and utilize the same treatment technology, using the smoothed bootstrap Malmquist productivity index based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The results reveal a negative trend in productivity that is mainly the result of resource management rather than an inappropriate level of innovation or use of new technologies. In addition, the effect of exogenous factors on productivity is analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test, finding that productivity levels were affected by the quality of the influent water and the size of the plants, but not by the other factors considered.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2017-06-01Utilities Policy
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2017.04.004