Establishing preference ranking for town water supply in remote areas: case study in Taiwan

Abstract

This study aims to develop a Preference Ranking Model (PRM) using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for expanding tap water utilities. The literature review identifies six aspects and fifteen factors influencing the prioritization and decisions regarding the extension of tap water pipelines. A pilot study involving eight officials yielded a Consistency Index (CI) of 0.070, which is below the threshold of 0.1, supporting the feasibility of the AHP questionnaire. The formal AHP questionnaire, targeting 30 officials with over six years of work experience, resulted in a CI of 0.062 and a CR of 0.050, both meeting the criteria of being less than 0.1. The established priority ranking places emphasis on: (1) Aspects - water source > construction period > population > residential type > political matter > constructability; and (2) factor preference rankings within each aspect. The outcome undergoes evaluation based on 26 empirical cases to determine its potential approval by the central government. Apart from the costly construction in the top three cases, the acceptance rate sees an approximately 60% increase compared to previous rates. These findings promise to enhance operational efficiency, saving both time and manpower in practical applications.