Abstract
Difficulties related to the group decision-making process in the water supply sector, such as physical and economic losses, irrational use of water and maintenance costs, highlight the need to develop procedures to support decisions, reducing unnecessary water use and wastage. This study focused on the rational use of water resources and reduction of water losses, based on the assumption that it is far more economical to develop and improve existing systems rather than build new systems in parallel to the existing one. This study aimed to support a group decision-making process in the maintenance section of a water supply company. A model is proposed consisting of 2 phases, which aggregates individual preferences to achieve a group decision. The first phase is based on the ELECTRE II method, analysing individual preferences, while the second is based on the COPELAND method to aggregate individual preferences. From this model, we developed a software program to prioritise alternatives, simultaneously taking into account subjective and objective criteria, and thereby giving decision makers a clear and comprehensive overview of alternatives, indicating the most suitable alternative based on the preferences of group members from different areas.
Highlights
Issues related to prioritisation of alternatives or general decision-making in water utility companies are always connected to conflicts of preference among managers who have different interests in attending to the company’s goals
The problems faced by water utilities in large cities, such as population growth, extended periods of drought, irrational use of water, lack of planned maintenance and the inadequate operation and maintenance of distribution and treatment systems add to the decision making challenge
The relative weight of 0.5 was considered; in other words, the decision maker with this weighting had their preferences valued twice as much in relation to the others. This situation could lead the group preferences to tend toward the preference of the major decision maker; the first place alternatives still remained within the expectation of the group, as if the weights were equal
Summary
Issues related to prioritisation of alternatives or general decision-making in water utility companies are always connected to conflicts of preference among managers who have different interests in attending to the company’s goals. The fact that there is more than one decision maker in any kind of prioritisation process regarding water resources implies that conflicts will exist. In the maintenance sector of water utilities the discrepancies can become even greater because decision makers are simultaneously involved with economic and environmental issues. Making the correct decisions in the implementation of preventive and reparatory actions is necessary in order to minimise losses in the operation of water networks, and extend natural resource supply and minimise environmental impacts
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