Waste-load allocation using genetic algorithms

This paper explores the capabilities of genetic algorithms for identifying solutions to waste-load allocation problems. Three optimization model formu lations are developed for examining different waste-load allocation problem s. Two of the model formulations address problems arising in the planning c ontext while the third model addresses waste-load allocation decisions of u se when developing an operational strategy for a river basin. The models ca n all be used to develop a trade-off relationship for a multiobjective opti mization problem that would be of use to a decision maker when selecting a solution for implementation. The models developed are applied to a case stu dy based on the Willamette River in Oregon and the resulting trade-off rela tionships are discussed both in objective space and in decision space.