The Economic Value of Basin Protection to Improve the Quality and Reliability of Potable Water Supply: Some Evidence from Ecuador

Variable

Proportion
%

Mean

Std.

Error

Range

Willingness to pay ($)

5.79

7.72

0-36

Age (years)
Occupation

16

46

38

39.89

11.73

17-72

3 binary variables:
Student
Self-employed
Employed

Gender

0.52

0.50

1 = Male, 0 = Female

Education level

0.76

0.43

1 = College education,
0=Less than college
education

Family members

4.50

2.04

1-15

Household income ($ per
month)

789.80

648.99

100-4,000

Household expenditures per
capita ($ per month)*

126.10

130.58

2.5-992

Water bill ($ per month)

19.61

18.01

3-125

Access to water 24 hours a day
water service (hours)

0.80

0.40

1=Yes

0=No

Perception about water tariff

0.26

0.44

1= Expensive,
0=Normal or cheap

Perception about water
quantity

0.22

0.42

0 = no satisfied,
1 = satisfied

Perception about water quality

0.30

0.46

0 = no satisfied,
1 = satisfied

Perception about water service
reliability

0.62

0.49

0 = no satisfied,
1 = satisfied

Potential solution to the
presence of private landowners
in micro-basins

0.84

0.37

0 = Maintain human
settlements and educate
them about problems

1= Buy land from private
owners_________________