圖書典藏及影音數位平台

自來水為民生必需品，自來水事業有其責任提供質優量足之自來水供民眾使用。然台灣地區水資源分佈豐枯懸殊，加上各河川川短流急，不利水資源之攔蓄，水資源條件嚴苛；政府有鑑於此，不斷宣導國人要「節約用水」珍惜水資源，已漸有成效。惟水價長期偏低，未能與時俱進合理反映水資源經濟價值，已逐漸侵蝕自來水事業經營體質，如財務、成本等，對提昇自來水品質，長期而言是一隱憂。而藉由水價結構檢討，促使民眾更珍惜水資源，提升水資源效能，亦是政府所面對的嚴肅課題。 為使自來水事業能隨時代及科技之演進而進步，提供民生量足質優之用水，厚實國家經濟發展之基礎，爰透過合理水價策略的檢討，健全自來水事業之營運，確保水資源之永續利用。同時，亦契合立法院審查99年度國營事業預算與天然氣事業法草案時，要求自來水及天然瓦斯基本費收費制度比照電費之計價機制。準此，藉由本計畫，適時檢討水價結構、基本費收費制與水價合理調整等重大議題，俾國人凝聚共識，研擬具體可行方案作為政府決策參考。 綜上，本計畫要旨，參酌世界其他國家在追求自來水事業永續經營過程中，其水價調整歷程、演進與經驗，水價訂價策略中所考量項目，如成本、用戶公平、使用效率、水資源的有效利用及永續經營等，作為國內水價結構與計價方式檢討之基礎。 另為使水價政策貼近民意，本計畫之另一工作重點為於政策規劃過程中，納入各相關單位、民間團體及民眾等意見，俾建構永續水價決策評估模式，模擬目前環境下可能之水價決策演化結果，研提適合國內自來水事業永續發展之水價策略，俾利國內各自來水事業展現高績效之經營新風貌，爰辦理本計畫。

Adequate water supply is crucial for meeting the basic drinking water needs, and for developing a nation’s economy. Confronted with changes in water demands or more stringent water or environmental regulations, water companies are required to invest in technical upgrades, costs of which will need to be shared among the service users and the government in ways that are considered by all to be both fair and equitable. The project is to encourage discussions among various stakeholder groups, experts, academic scholars, and government representatives in forums and public awareness seminars, so that a public consensus on water pricing policy may be reached. A background literature review which included eleven published projects is completed. From these papers, two water pricing policy issues are derived, which include “Water pricing principles, costs, and adjustment mechanisms”, and “Water pricing issues from the perspectives of consumers: 1) How necessary water pricing adjustments are, 2) Impacts of water pricing adjustments on different stakeholder groups. Water pricing adjustments are concerns of public interests, therefore, public opinions have also been compiled from news and meeting minutes of past discussion forums. Based on a background literature review, seven stakeholder groups have been identified. An analytical network process (ANP) questionnaire is designed to solicit stakeholder preferences through in-depth interview with each group’s representative. The likely outcome of negotiations among these seven groups is then obtained from a simple game-theory simulation with ANP preferences data. The policy option of “Increasing the price increments for moving from one block of water use to a higher one” is the likely negotiation outcome. In addition, water pricing structures of cities such as New York in the United States, London in England, Sydney in Australia, Guangzhou and Macao in China, as well of Ireland were compiled as references. The assessment of public opinions, research and studies, three policy recommendations are proposed. First, the pricing structure could be adjusted based on users pay principle and the principle of fairness. Second, the government could strengthen communications with the public about water pricing issues, so that a public consensus can be reached. Third, the timing of the necessary water pricing adjustments needs to align with public support. During this project, public awareness of the issues related to water pricing adjustments is increased through several public events in Taipei and Taichung, as well as through press releases. Invited participants of these events include non-government organizations, water company representatives, government officials representing the Water Resources Agency, and experts of economy and of other fields.