AS Tallinna Vesi's operational perfomance during 2020
2020 was an extraordinary year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and caused Tallinna Vesi to make changes in its working arrangements, to ensure the continued safety of staff and uninterrupted services to customers. This ensured we maintained high standards in the quality of both drinking water and final treated effluent, as well as improved network reliability. A number of quality parameters showed a record performance in 2020.
We ensured high-quality drinking water supply and compliant effluent
In 2019, the water samples taken from customer’s taps were 99.04% compliant with all quality requirements, in 2020 this same parameter reached 99.71%. This is a result of further investments into the network and enhanced maintenance regimes, which were introduced following the introduction of a more sensitive water quality test into Estonia.
In order to operate efficiently and use water resources sparingly, we have made great efforts to reduce leakages in the water network. The all-time low record of 12.42% in leakage rate that the Company achieved in 2020, is a testament to that work. The leakage rate for 2019 was 12.97%. The consistent improvement in leakage rates, from the pre-privatisation rate of over 35% in 2000, demonstrates appropriate capital investments into the network and robust repair and maintenance regimes.
Similar to previous years, the final treated effluent at Paljassaare Wastewater Treatment Plant was compliant with all quality requirements in 2020. In order to further improve the treatment efficiency and final effluent quality, our wastewater laboratory continually analyses samples taken from different stages of the wastewater treatment process.
Improved reliability of services
We work hard to limit interruptions in the water network and minimise their duration when they occur. During 2020, the average water disruption time remained stable at 2 hours and 56 minutes per property compared to 2 hours and 59 minutes in 2019.
The number of sewer blockages and sewer collapses showed a significant improvement in comparison with 2019, reducing by 13% and 22% respectively. A contributing factor to that was the warmer winter that facilitated additional maintenance on the network.
In 2020, we reconstructed 4.7 km of water pipes and 3.8 km of sewers. During the last five years (2016-2020), the Company has reconstructed a total of 27 km of water pipes and 26 km of sewers.
In terms of enhancing the reliability of water supply service to customers, the largest project delivered was on Punase Street, where the water main supplying 100,000 residents in Lasnamäe and Maardu, was reconstructed. Another key project related to a section of the water pipe on Järvevana Rd, improving the security of water supply for residents and companies in the Mustamäe and Õismäe districts of Tallinn. Also, the pumping stations on Jääraku Str in Pirita-Kose and on Kolde Blvd in Northern Tallinn received investments related to new technology and telemetry.
Tallinna Vesi commenced the reconstruction of the mechanical treatment stage at Paljassaare wastewater treatment plant – one of largest projects of the past decade for the company. This major project is currently ahead of schedule and will continue throughout 2021, with completion expected in early 2022. Completion of this project will further enhance the quality and resilience of wastewater treatment process.
During 2020, we reconstructed a large collector at Kadaka Blvd, which directs wastewater from Saku, Saue, Laagri and approximately half of the properties in Nõmme District, to the Company’s wastewater treatment plant at Paljassaare.
Smoother service for our customers
Our aim is to provide high-quality and uninterrupted service to our customers – to ensure that, we consistently monitor our performance in terms of keeping our promises made to customers, giving swift responses and reducing the likelihood of complaints. We managed to maintain high standards in keeping our promises, and only had one failure in 2020.
The number of customer contacts generally serves as an indicator of the quality of customer service provided by the Company. In 2020 we have had approximately 24% less inquiries from our customers in connection with the most frequent subjects, such as water quality, pressure and sewer blockages, which is a positive trend.
| OPERATIONAL INDICATORS FOR 2020 | |||||
| Indicator | Unit | 12 months of 2020 | 12 months of 2019 | Q4 2020 | Q4 2019 |
| Drinking water | |||||
| Compliance of water quality at the customers’ tap | % | 99.71% | 99.04% | 99.5% | 99.0% |
| Water loss in the water distribution network | % | 12.42% | 12.97% | 12.3% | 14.3% |
| Average duration of water interruptions per property in hours | h | 2.93 | 2.99 | 2.73 | 3.24 |
| Wastewater | |||||
| Number of sewer blockages | No | 463 | 532 | 125 | 135 |
| Number of sewer collapses | No | 80 | 103 | 19 | 21 |
| Wastewater treatment compliance with environmental standards | % | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Customer Service | |||||
| Number of complaints (*/**) | No | 40* / 181** | 41 / 167 | 4 / 52 | 8 / 44 |
| Number of customer contacts regarding water quality | No | 323 | 508 | 53 | 148 |
| Number of customer contacts regarding water pressure | No | 359 | 478 | 114 | 135 |
| Number of customer contacts regarding blockages and leading off stormwater | No | 864 | 1 047 | 177 | 298 |
| Responding to written customer contacts within at least 2 working days | % | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Number of cases of failed promises cases | No | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Notification of unplanned water interruptions at least 1h before the interruption | % | 98.9% | 96.2% | 97.8% | 94.6% |
Since 2020, only the cases that are controllable by the water company are classified as complaints*. In 2019 and before, all critical inquiries were classified as complaints**.
Tuuli Sokmann
Head of Communication
Tallinna Vesi
(+372) 626 2275
