AS Tallinna Vesi's operational performance in the 1st quarter of 2021
In the 1st quarter of 2021, the spread of coronavirus continued to affect our ways of working in Tallinna Vesi. Despite the changes made in the work arrangements, the company delivered excellent results for a number of parameters. We are pleased to see consistently high performance in the quality of drinking water and customer service. Cold temperatures in the beginning of the year affected both the level of leakages in the water network as well as the time it took to fix those.
High-quality drinking water
Water quality in the first three months of the year was 100% compliant with all quality requirements. This means that all the 893 water samples taken from the network during the first quarter met the strict water quality standards. Excellent drinking water quality in the network has been ensured by the efficient management of water treatment processes, proactive network maintenance and low raw water temperature being a contributing factor.
We work hard to limit interruptions in the water network and minimise their duration when they occur. The average water disruption time was 3 hours and 19 minutes, with 93% of emergency interruptions lasting less than 5 hours. To minimise the effect of water interruptions on customers, we continue the additional valve installation project also in 2021.
The level of leakages in our network was 15.46% in the first three months, showing a slight increase year on year, attributable to the cold weather and reduced consumption.
In terms of enhancing the reliability of water supply service to customers, we commenced network reconstruction works in Poska and Roosikrantsi streets and Kadaka road. During the 1st quarter of 2021, the company built a total of 1,370 m of water pipes and 650 m of sewers.
Reliable wastewater service
Besides the sustainable use of water, we are also determined to improve the natural and living environment around the Baltic Sea by assessing the treatment efficiency and the quality of wastewater. We consistently monitor the concentration of pollutants in the incoming wastewater and final treated effluent. The quality of treated effluent leaving Paljassaare wastewater treatment plant has direct impact on the marine environment. During the first three months it continued to be fully compliant with all regulations and standards.
In the 1st quarter of 2021, the number of sewer collapses was approximately 30% lower year on year, which was a good reflection of the Company’s enhanced maintenance regimes and targeted investments. The number of sewer blockages in the network increased 15% year on year, primarily due to lower temperatures in winter compared to the last year.
The reconstruction of the mechanical treatment stage at Paljassaare wastewater treatment plant continued according to the plan. We made preparations for puting into operation the new grit traps that are part of the mechanical treatment stage. This is one of the largest projects of the past decade for the Company and will continue throughout 2021. Completion of this project will further enhance the quality and resilience of wastewater treatment process.
We also upgraded the key facility of the sewer system in the city, the main pumping station at wastewater treatment plant, receiving all the wastewater collected from Tallinn. To reduce the operational risks of the plant, a new pump was installed at the main pumping station that will provide 5-10% additional capacity for incoming wastewater. The new pump will enhance resilience of the wastewater treatment process at times of heavy rainfall and will further increase the reliability of supply for Tallinners.
High standards of customer service
To deliver high-quality service to our customers we have set ourselves clear and challenging targets also for this year. We aim to keep our promises made to customers concerning the speed of our response and problem-solving. During the first three months, we failed one promise, which affected two customers. The failure was related to a planned interruption to water supply, where the opening of water supply was delayed by 2 hours due to our contractor’s fault.
The first three months of 2021 saw a decrease in the number of written inquires and repeated requests. This positive trend shows a stable improvement in the quality of service and, on the other hand, indicates that information is easily available to customers through other channels such as our website or self-service. The number of customer complaints was also significantly lower than in the same period last year.
| OPERATIONAL INDICATORS FOR THE THREE MONTHS OF 2021 | ||||
| Indicator | Unit | Q1 2021 | Q1 2020 | |
| Drinking water | ||||
| Compliance of water quality at the customers’ tap | % | 100% | 100% | |
| Water loss in the water distribution network | % | 15.46% | 14.9% | |
| Average duration of water interruptions per property in hours | h | 3.32 | 2.87 | |
| Wastewater | ||||
| Number of sewer blockages | No | 143 | 124 | |
| Number of sewer collapses | No | 19 | 27 | |
| Wastewater treatment compliance with environmental standards | % | 100% | 100% | |
| Customer Service | ||||
| Number of complaints | No | 8 | 16 | |
| Number of customer contacts regarding water quality | No | 42 | 64 | |
| Number of customer contacts regarding water pressure | No | 51 | 64 | |
| Number of customer contacts regarding blockages and leading off stormwater | No | 244 | 266 | |
| Responding to written customer contacts within at least 2 working days | % | 99.7% | 100% | |
| Number of cases of failed promises | No | 1 | 0 | |
| Notification of unplanned water interruptions at least 1h before the interruption | % | 99.8% | 99.4% | |
Laura Korjus
Head of Communication
Tallinna Vesi
(+372) 626 2271
