Overview
ISO 24510:2024 - Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services - provides guidelines for assessing and improving service to users. The standard defines a common language for stakeholders, identifies key service elements and user expectations, and gives guidance on how to assess whether those expectations are met. It also introduces assessment criteria, performance indicators, and examples to help utilities measure and improve customer-focused service delivery.
Important: ISO 24510:2024 covers user-facing elements of drinking water and wastewater services but does not prescribe methods for system design/construction, internal building plumbing, nor detailed contractual or operational management methodologies.
Key Topics and Requirements
The standard addresses practical, user-centred topics, including:
- Access to water services: definitions and expectations for service provision and coverage.
- Provision of the service: application/termination processes, supply continuity, pressure, quantity and aesthetic aspects.
- Drinking water quality: user-relevant quality characteristics and communication of quality information.
- Contract management and billing: content of service agreements, measurement of consumption, bill clarity, accuracy, dispute handling and payment methods.
- Customer relations: written/telephone/online contact, office visits, social media, complaints management, notifications for interruptions or abnormal situations.
- Safety and emergency management: user-facing preparedness and notification procedures.
- Environmental protection: sustainable resource use, wastewater treatment and environmental impact considerations.
- Assessment and performance: guidance on setting objectives, assessment criteria, and examples of performance indicators to monitor service to users.
Practical Applications
ISO 24510:2024 is useful for organizations seeking to benchmark and improve user experience with drinking water and wastewater services:
- Develop or revise customer service policies, service agreements and billing practices.
- Design user-centric performance frameworks and KPIs (e.g., response times, billing accuracy, notification timeliness).
- Implement communication plans for emergencies, interruptions, and water quality advisories.
- Inform community engagement, participation processes and transparency initiatives.
- Support regulatory assessments and external reviews focused on service to users.
Who should use this standard
- Water and wastewater utility managers and operational leaders
- Customer service teams and billing administrators
- Regulators and public health authorities
- Consultants and auditors working on service performance and user satisfaction
- Policymakers and community engagement practitioners
Related standards (if applicable)
ISO 24510 complements other ISO guidance and national standards addressing water quality, utility management, performance indicators, and environmental protection. For system design, construction or in-building plumbing standards, refer to the appropriate technical standards outside the scope of ISO 24510.
Keywords: ISO 24510:2024, drinking water and wastewater services, service to users, performance indicators, assessment criteria, billing, water quality, customer service.