ISO 24510:2024
Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services
- Standard No.
- ISO 24510:2024
- Release Date
- 2024
- Published By
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO) IX / ISO
- Latest
- ISO 24510:2024
- Introduction
Standard Background and Revision Highlights
ISO 24510:2024 is the second edition of the standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on user assessment and improvement of drinking water and wastewater services, replacing the first edition in 2007. This revision mainly adds modern service elements such as online services and electronic billing, and enhances content on user segmentation, accessibility for vulnerable groups, and stormwater management. The standard aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3 (Health) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
Service Elements and User Needs
The standard defines seven service elements: service access, service provision, contract and billing, user relations facilitation, environmental protection, safety and emergency management, and lists user expectations for each element. For example, users expect fair pricing, accurate billing, timely response to complaints, and interruption notification.
Service Elements User Expectations Evaluation Criteria Service Access Fairness, Affordability, Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups Coverage, Affordability, Availability of Alternative Services Service Provision Timely Connection, Reasonable Pricing, Water Quality Compliance New Connection Time, Water Pressure, Interruption Frequency Contracts and Billing Clear Agreements, Accurate Billing, Multiple Payment Channels Bill Complaint Rate, Payment Method Diversity User Relations Effective Communication, Complaint Handling, Participation Mechanisms Response Time, Satisfaction Survey Environmental Protection Sustainable Water Use, Wastewater Treatment Compliance Environmental Management System, Emission Compliance Safety and Emergency Response Rapid Recovery, Information Transparency Emergency Plan Testing, Notification Efficiency The standard emphasizes the necessity of user segmentation, providing differentiated services for different user groups (such as households, non-households, and vulnerable users). For example, providing prepayment systems or installment payment schemes for vulnerable users.
Assessment and Performance Indicators
The standard provides examples of assessment criteria and performance indicators. Assessment criteria translate user needs into measurable dimensions, while performance indicators quantify service performance. For example, for the "written contact" objective, the corresponding performance indicator is "timely response rate." Appendix A provides more indicators, such as "number of interruptions per thousand people" and "water affordability." The standard emphasizes that indicators should be tailored to the local context and that confidence levels (Appendix B) should be used to ensure data quality.
Implementation Case: Application by a Municipal Water Company
A medium-sized city's water company improved its customer service based on ISO 24510: It established an online service platform, enabling 24-hour self-service billing and repair reporting; the average response time for customer complaints was reduced from 5 days to 1 day; tiered water pricing and prepaid water meters were introduced for low-income families, resulting in a 30% decrease in arrears. These improvements are continuously monitored through performance indicators (such as complaint rate and on-time response rate) and are regularly reported to users.
Implementation Recommendations
Recommendations to water utilities:
- Establish a user-centric management system and conduct regular satisfaction surveys;
- Clearly define service agreement terms to ensure users' right to know;
- Invest in digital technologies (such as smart meters and online customer service) to improve response efficiency;
- Develop support policies for vulnerable groups, such as subsidies and payment plans;
- Benchmark against performance indicators in standards and set continuous improvement goals.
ISO 24510:2024 Referenced Document
- ISO 24513 Service activities relating to drinking water supply, wastewater and stormwater systems — Vocabulary
ISO 24510:2024 history
- 2024 ISO 24510:2024 Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services
- 2011 ISO 24510:2011 Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services
- 2007 ISO 24510:2007 Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services - Guidelines for the assessment and for the improvement of the service to users
