An Estimation of the Value of Water Quality Preservation along with Willingness to Pay, Yazd County

Water quality is a most important factor in areas facing water crisis the survival of which is based upon it. In a determination of water value the factors that should be attended to are: the given volume, specified quality(preservation value), as well as the specific time and place.Valuation of water in Iran is dependent on types of exploited water resources which include: human consumption(quality)and non-consumption. Ignorance of the importance and value of changes in water quality, will greatly affect the environment as well as the human life. One of these values is preserving water quality. This study determined the value of preserving water quality in the city of Yazd assessing people's willingness to pay, making use of contingent valuation method and double bounded dichotomous choice questionnaire in year 1389. The results indicate that the average annual willingness of people to pay for protection water of quality is 217350 Rials. According to family size in the region (assumed as 4people), each family tends to pay 870120 Rials per capita yearly to protect water quality. Also, residents are willing to pay 120 Milliard rials be paid to maintain water quality. Therefore, these estimates are suggested to provide justifications for the policy makers and officials to maintain and protect water quality.