Economic Feasibility Study for Improving Drinking Water Quality: A Case Study of Arsenic Contamination in Rural Argentina

Economic studies are essential in evaluating the potential external investment support and/or internal tariffs available to improve drinking water quality. Cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is a useful tool to assess the economic feasibility of such interventions, i.e. to take some form of action to impro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:EcoHealth 2014-12, Vol.11 (4), p.476-490
Main Authors: Molinos-Senante, María, Perez Carrera, Alejo, Hernández-Sancho, Francesc, Fernández-Cirelli, Alicia, Sala-Garrido, Ramón
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Ecology
Argentina
Arsenic
Arsenic - analysis
Arsenic Poisoning - economics
Arsenic Poisoning - prevention & control
Cost benefit analysis
Decision making
Drinking water
Drinking Water - analysis
Economics
Ecosystems
Environmental Health
Feasibility Studies
Health Status
Humans
Information processing
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Microbiology
Models, Econometric
Original Contribution
Pollution control
Public Health
Rural areas
Rural environments
Rural Population
Water and Health
Water Pollution - economics
Water Pollution - prevention & control
Water quality
Water utilities
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Summary:Economic studies are essential in evaluating the potential external investment support and/or internal tariffs available to improve drinking water quality. Cost–benefit analysis (CBA) is a useful tool to assess the economic feasibility of such interventions, i.e. to take some form of action to improve the drinking water quality. CBA should involve the market and non-market effects associated with the intervention. An economic framework was proposed in this study, which estimated the health avoided costs and the environmental benefits for the net present value of reducing the pollutant concentrations in drinking water. We conducted an empirical application to assess the economic feasibility of removing arsenic from water in a rural area of Argentina. Four small-scale methods were evaluated in our study. The results indicated that the inclusion of non-market benefits was integral to supporting investment projects. In addition, the application of the proposed framework will provide water authorities with more complete information for the decision-making process.
ISSN:1612-9202
1612-9210
DOI:10.1007/s10393-014-0948-5