Utilizing analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for decision
making in water loss management of intermittent water
supply systems
Shaher H. Zyoud, Hafez Shaheen, Subhi Samhan, Ayman Rabi,
Firas Al-Wadi and Daniela Fuchs-Hanusch
ABSTRACT
Increasing water demands, in parallel with water scarcity, force water utilities in developing
countries to follow complex operation techniques for the distribution of the available amounts of
water. The reduction of water losses from water supply systems can help fill the gap between supply
and demand. This strategy is characterized by the variety of options, and identification of the most
appropriate option is a demanding process. An integrated multi-criteria decision making framework,
precisely analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is applied to prioritize water loss reduction options for a
typical intermittent water supply network in Palestine. The AHP was applied to structure the decision
problem into a hierarchy framework, and four groups of decision makers were engaged to evaluate
the elements. The results show that the strategic plan, which comprises controlling and managing
operational pressure, was the best option. The selection of this option was highly connected to
the conditions of the case study and to the well-known advantages of this strategy to reduce losses.
It is anticipated that the developed methodology will help water utilities to identify integrated
water loss management plans that will guide utility managers to conduct better control for water
losses.
Shaher H. Zyoud (corresponding author)
Daniela Fuchs-Hanusch
Institute of Urban Water Management and
Landscape Water Engineering,
Graz University of Technology,
Graz,
Austria
E-mail: shaherzyouds@gmail.com
Hafez Shaheen
Civil Engineering Department,
An-Najah National University,
Nablus,
Palestine
Subhi Samhan
Directorate of Research and Development,
Palestinian Water Authority,
Ramallah,
Palestine
Ayman Rabi
Palestinian Hydrology Group for Water and
Environmental Resources Development,
Ramallah,
Palestine
Firas Al-Wadi
Water and Sanitation Department,
Nablus Municipality,
Nablus,
Palestine
Key words | analytic hierarchy process, intermittent supply, multi-criteria decision analysis,
water losses
INTRODUCTION
Water losses from water distribution systems (WDSs) have a
significant impact on the economic sustainability of urban
water utilities, and also represent a most relevant indicator
of their inefficiency (Loureiro et al. ; Vilanova et al.
). Its control promotes the efficient use of water as a
valuable natural resource by allowing for less water to be
collected from the environment (Loureiro et al. ). In
urban areas, the leaks from WDSs often provide substantial
groundwater recharge, which partially counterbalances the
lack of inflow because infiltration is reduced as a result of
the presence of paved areas and buildings (Ducci & Seller-
ino ). Controlling water losses has been widely tackled
and discussed by researchers in recent years in light of its
high significance in the performance of WDSs (Walski
et al. ; Mutikanga et al. ; Morais et al. ).
All water systems are vulnerable to water losses. It is
only the volume of water losses that varies (Farley & Trow
). Water losses can be classified as real and apparent
losses, where leakage represents the main component of
the real losses and measurement errors and unauthorized
534 © IWA Publishing 2016 Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development | 06.4 | 2016
doi: 10.2166/washdev.2016.123
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