Factors influencing households' satisfaction with drinking water availability in Bujumbura Municipality, Burundi

ABSTRACT Consumer satisfaction and drinking water availability in evolving urban settings are major issues and their understanding is a key to improving water service quality and managing water utility. This study aims to examine factors influencing subscribers' satisfaction with drinking water availability in the Municipality of Bujumbura, Burundi. To achieve this, a survey was carried out from 3 to 21 May 2021 on a random sample of 391 subscribers. The outcome variable was the logarithm of the odds of being satisfied with drinking water availability and explanatory variables included sociodemographic factors (commune, gender, age, education level, marital status, and religion), water distribution factors and co-production-related factors. The chi-square test (Fisher's exact test if conditions are not met) and binary fixed-effects logistic regression models were applied to these data using R software, version 4.1.2. Findings showed that the time of drinking water supply and frequency of water-related outages significantly influenced satisfaction with drinking water availability after adjustment for age. This study could help decision-makers who are in charge of drinking water distribution identify other factors associated with water availability satisfaction in Bujumbura Municipality and other urban settings.