Decision of water supply line under uncertainty

Alternatives that are generally considered as a water supply line for conve ying the collected and treated water from the source to community are studi ed. To evaluate and rank these alternatives, several indicators are then ma de based on the technical feasibility of methods for constructing a water s upply pipeline, the safety of hydraulic pressure or velocity, and the reaso nableness of the cost required. However, assessing technical feasibility, s afety and cost contains elements of uncertainty due to a lack of available information, the randomness of future situations, and the incomplete knowle dge of the expert. In this study, a methodology using fuzzy sets is present ed to assist decision makers in evaluating various water supply lines with uncertain information, in order to decide a proper line. The methodology al lows decision makers to characterize associated uncertainty and incorporate it directly into the decision-making process so decisions can be made that are more appropriate and realistic than those made without taking uncertai nty into account. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.