Development of a multicriteria model for crises in urban water supply and its application to the case of Brasilia, Brazil

The expansion of urban water supply crisis (UWC) cases, a context characterized by an inadequate ratio between water consumption and supply capacity, has motivated researchers to search for tools to solve the problem. The objective of this study is to develop a multicriteria tool to help select the solution alternative for UWC cases. The tool (called UWC‐MCDA) is based on obtaining consensus on various multicriteria methods for selecting alternatives to solve UWC cases. The proposed methodology consists of the following steps: (1) defining the criteria, (2) defining weights, (3) defining the alternative, (4) defining multicriterial decision support methods, (5) coding the UWC solution alternative selection model, (6) evaluation of the model coding, (7) application of the model coding, and (8) sensitivity analysis. The methods PROMETHEE II, TOPSIS, ELECTRE III, and Consensus ranking are used. The case study considered was the Administrative Region of Brasilia, in the Federal District of Brazil. A multicriteria tool to help select the solution alternative for UWC cases was developed in an easy‐to‐use environment (Visual Basic for Applications, MS Excel). The UWC‐MCDA is able to identify and prioritize, among a set of possible alternatives, the most appropriate solution for the case in question. For the case study, the UWC‐MCDA indicated the best alternatives for regulating water consumption, strengthening sanitation service operators and good water conservation practices. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:99–113. © 2022 SETAC