Summary of Study Session 9

In Study Session 9, you have learned that:

1. Good governance of a water utility encompasses participation of stakeholders, transparency, responsiveness, consensus, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and independence.
2. Sound financial management is crucial to ensuring an adequate and safe water supply.
3. Asset management is the process of operating and maintaining systems, with the objective of cost-effectively providing the best possible service to users.
4. Customer complaints should be handled diplomatically and used as a means to rectify flaws in the system.
5. There may be complaints that are unresolvable. These may then have to be passed to an independent party for resolution.
6. Drinking water standards exist to ensure the safety of water for human consumption, and they encompass microbial, physical and chemical parameters.