Quantifying uncertainty using robustness analysis in the application of ORESTE to sewer rehabilitation projects prioritization – Brussels case study

Sewer systems are considered extremely important components of the urban water infrastructure due to their function and capital‐intensive nature. These systems, however, have been undergoing aging and deterioration, thus needing repair or rehabilitation. Historically, the budgets for sewer rehabilitation are often scarce and too limited to address the requirements, requiring utility managers to prioritize the competing projects. In this paper, the application of ORESTE to the prioritization of sewer rehabilitation projects for the Brussels, Belgium network was demonstrated. The 43 proposed projects were ranked based on a set of 16 criteria. In addition, a methodology was introduced to investigate the robustness of the ORESTE solution. The inclusion of the robustness analysis into the technique allowed for the quantification of the uncertainties associated with the priority rankings. This type of information is very important in developing confidence among decision makers as to their decision on the priority ranking of sewer rehabilitation projects.