Improved Decision-Making: A Sociotechnical Utility-Based Framework for Drinking Water Investment

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health Policy
• Decision Analysis

Background:

• Limited funding necessitates effective prioritization for Safe Drinking Water Act compliance.
• Current infrastructure funding decisions often lack comprehensive evaluative metrics.
• Lead service line replacement (LSLR) is a critical but complex public health challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a utility theory-based framework for prioritizing drinking water infrastructure investments.
• To evaluate the impact of incorporating diverse data (water quality, community, environment) on LSLR funding decisions.
• To compare different model structures and weighting schemes in resource allocation.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed existing indices for relevant drinking water data.
• Developed a decision analysis framework using utility theory.
• Applied the framework to LSLR programs in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
• Compared additive and multiplicative models, varying weights and spatial scales.

Main Results:

• Incorporating broader data beyond traditional metrics significantly altered prioritization of counties and water systems for LSLR.
• The choice of model structure (additive vs. multiplicative) and data weighting influenced top-priority areas.
• Prioritization outcomes demonstrated sensitivity to the inclusion of community and environmental attributes.

Conclusions:

• A utility theory-based approach offers a more comprehensive method for allocating drinking water infrastructure funds.
• Decision-making for LSLR can be optimized by integrating diverse data sources.
• The study highlights the need for advanced evaluative metrics beyond conventional water system data for equitable resource distribution.