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A multi-criteria decision analysis framework for evaluating point-of-use water treatment alternatives

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Abstract

Despite significant progress on meeting global water targets, the lack of access to safe drinking water remains a significant problem in today’s world. Statistics from health agencies indicate that waterborne diseases are among the leading causes of health-related mortalities, particularly in developing nations. This paper examines the performance and applicability of various point-of-use (POU) water treatment alternatives, namely (i) solar disinfection; (ii) boiling of water; (iii) chlorination; (iv) disinfection–flocculation with a natural coagulant (powdered Moringa seeds); (v) filtration with ceramic pots; and (vi) biosand filtration. We evaluated the efficacy of each alternative using a set of criteria based on environmental sustainability, technological performance, financial viability, and social acceptability. We also integrated several multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approaches to determine the most suitable water treatment method for a given community. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was implemented to elicit various preference structures and to generate the weights for the criteria. Subsequent ranking of the POU alternatives was then performed using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solutions (TOPSIS) method. Sensitivity analysis and visualization charts were developed to evaluate the impact of changes in preference ratings of each alternative with respect to the criteria. A case study was implemented in a rural area in the Philippines to determine the optimal POU alternatives given variations in AHP and TOPSIS input data. The resulting MCDA framework is flexible and can accommodate the inclusion of other alternatives and criteria, and it can also be generalized for other regions and applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

    Joost Santos

  2. University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA

    Sheree Ann Pagsuyoin

  3. Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Acton, MA, 01720, USA

    Jana Latayan

Authors
  1. Joost Santos
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  2. Sheree Ann Pagsuyoin
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  3. Jana Latayan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joost Santos.

Appendix 1: MATLAB simulation code

Appendix 1: MATLAB simulation code

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Santos, J., Pagsuyoin, S.A. & Latayan, J. A multi-criteria decision analysis framework for evaluating point-of-use water treatment alternatives. Clean Techn Environ Policy 18, 1263–1279 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-015-1066-y

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