Water Expert: a conceptualized framework for development of a rule-based decision support system for distribution system decontamination

Abstract. Significant drinking water contamination events pose a serious threat to public and environmental health. Water utilities often must make timely, critical decisions without evaluating all facets of the incident. The data needed to enact informed decisions are inevitably dispersant and disparate, originating from policy, science, and heuristic contributors. Water Expert is a functioning hybrid decision support system (DSS) and expert system framework that emphasizes the meshing of parallel data structures in order to expedite and optimize the decision pathway. Delivered as a thin-client application through the user's web browser, Water Expert's extensive knowledgebase is a product of inter-university collaboration that methodically pieced together system decontamination procedures. Decontamination procedures are investigated through consultation with subject matter experts, literature review, and prototyping with stakeholders. This paper discusses the development of Water Expert, analyzing the development process underlying the DSS and the system's existing architecture specifications. Water Expert constitutes the first system to employ a combination of deterministic and heuristic models which provide decontamination solutions for water distribution systems. Results indicate that the decision making process following a contamination event is a multi-disciplinary effort. This contortion of multiple inputs and objectives limit the ability of the decision maker to find optimum solutions without technological intervention.

Download Full-text

Development and Use of a Decision Support System for the Response to Drinking Water Contamination Events

Special Publications - Water Contamination Emergencies ◽

10.1039/9781849737890-00205 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 205-221

Author(s):

B.H. Tangena ◽

J.F. Schijven ◽

J.M. Foret ◽

M. Bakker

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Decision Support ◽

Decision Support System ◽

Support System ◽

Water Contamination ◽

Drinking Water Contamination ◽

Contamination Events

Download Full-text

Decision Support System for Real Time Vehicle Routing in Indian Dairy Industry: A Case Study

International Journal of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management ◽

10.4018/ijisscm.2013100105 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 77-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

R. A. Malairajan ◽

K. Ganesh ◽

M. Punnniyamoorthy ◽

S. P. Anbuudayasankar

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Decision Support ◽

Supply Chain Management ◽

Decision Support System ◽

Vehicle Routing ◽

Support System ◽

Distribution System ◽

Physical Distribution ◽

Chain Management ◽

Distribution Logistics

In today’s highly competitive and demanding environment, the pressure on both public and private organizations is to achieve a better way to deliver values to end customers. There has been a growing recognition that the two goals, cost reduction and customer service are achieved through Logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM). Transportation of goods continues an important part of in-bound as well as outbound logistics of Supply Chain Management (SCM). Efficient distribution of goods and services is of great importance in today’s competitive market, because transportation constitutes a considerable portion of the purchase price of most products or services. Vehicle routing is considered as an important resource in a distribution logistics management system. Effective plan and control of vehicle operation can significantly reduce the cost of physical distribution system. To overcome the challenges of changing environment, the scheme of vehicle control of a physical distribution system should be dynamic. Thus India has become the top milk producing country in the world. This study addresses the vehicle routing aspect of distribution logistics in Sangam dairy supply chain of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. The problem is viewed as Vehicle Routing Problem with Backhauls (VRPB) and a mathematical model is developed with the consideration of various practical constraints. Moreover, a decision support system is developed for dynamic VRPB, which would help the manager in making operational and tactical decisions.

Download Full-text

Towards a decision support system for the ready concrete distribution system: A case of a Greek company

European Journal of Operational Research ◽

10.1016/s0377-2217(03)00039-0 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 152 (2) ◽

pp. 487-499 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Nikolaos F Matsatsinis

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Decision Support System ◽

Support System ◽

Distribution System ◽

System A

Download Full-text

Decision support system to select sustainable point-of-use/point-of-entry treatment systems (D4SPOUTS)

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrjc.2013.058 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 104-113

Author(s):

Mohamed A. Hamouda ◽

William B. Anderson ◽

Peter M. Huck

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Decision Support ◽

Decision Support System ◽

Support System ◽

Distribution System ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Engineering Practice ◽

Point Of Entry ◽

Point Of Use ◽

Treated Drinking Water

Point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) devices are, in some situations, considered to be a viable solution for drinking water suppliers and consumers alike to deal with site specific drinking water issues. This paper introduces a newly developed decision support system (DSS) that employs decision making techniques to select among the various devices based on their characterization and sustainability assessment. Careful illustration of the various aspects and components of the DSS is provided and the decision process is explained. Aspects of validity, usability and sensitivity analysis are demonstrated through a hypothetical case study for removing lead introduced in the distribution system of municipally treated drinking water. The output of the DSS helps to determine the more sustainable treatment devices which should have positive implications for the application of POU and POE devices. Other potential uses of the DSS are described to illustrate its versatility and usefulness. The DSS is not intended to replace common engineering practice in selecting POU and POE treatment systems, but rather to give support to the users by providing the necessary information about all possible solutions.

Download Full-text