Water treatment facilities in Ethiopia face challenges in ensuring adequate water quality for public consumption. There is a need to evaluate and improve their operational efficiency. A Bayesian hierarchical model was developed to analyse data from multiple water treatment facilities. The model accounts for variability across different facilities while estimating overall system efficiencies. The analysis revealed significant efficiency gains in treating wastewater compared to drinking water, with an average improvement of 20% in facility performance. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using a Bayesian hierarchical model to measure and interpret efficiency gains in Ethiopian water treatment facilities, offering insights for policy and practice. Stakeholders should prioritise facilities treating wastewater due to their higher potential for efficiency improvements. The findings suggest that targeted interventions could further enhance system performance. Bayesian hierarchical model, water treatment systems, efficiency gains, Ethiopia The maintenance outcome was modelled as Y₈ₓ=₀+₁X₈ₓ+uᵢ+₈ₓ, with robustness checked using heteroskedasticity-consistent errors.
Mulu Tesfay Gebru (Wed,) studied this question.