Technical and Scale Efficiency of the Brazilian Municipalities’ Water and Sanitation Services: A Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis

Seeking to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water sanitation for all” is an admirable Sustainable Development Goal honourable commitment the United Nations its Member States regarding human right safe drinking services (WSSs). However, majority countries are not on target achieve this by 2030, with several them moving away from best practices. Brazil one these cases, given, example, existing asymmetries in access supply service networks. For reason, we propose a benchmarking exercise using two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis measure technical scale efficiency Brazilian municipalities’ WSSs, noting their contextual environment. Our results point towards low mean scores, motivated existence significant inefficiencies (the vast municipalities operating at larger than optimal scale). Furthermore, Water source was found be statistically predictor, differences terms Ownership Geography. Ultimately, suggest policy-making regulatory possibilities based debureaucratization, implementation stricter expenditure control policies, investment expansion WSSs.