The Danish model for sustainable water solutions
The consumer in focus
The primary obligation of the water utilities towards consumers is to ensure a continuous and adequate supply of pure drinking water of good quality and taste. In this regard, ongoing communication with the consumers plays an important role.
Since 1987, domestic water consumption has decreased by 22% to 136 litres per person per day (1998), largely due to intensive water saving and information campaigns, leakage reduction efforts and other campaigns that the Danish water utilities have been organizing for many years. These consumer-oriented campaigns have raised consumer awareness of the fact that water is a scarce resource of vital importance for future generations.
Sustainability
In Denmark, all costs pertaining to construction, operation and maintenance of water utilities are recuperated through tariffs. It is therefore vital that consumers are well informed and are motivated to pay for the water services.
Water sector sustainability is best ensured by the end user covering the costs of water supply and wastewater disposal. For this reason Danish assistance is mainly directed at water projects founded on the concept that consumers have to cover the full cost of operating and maintaining the water and wastewater utilities.
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