A study on optimal site selection for the artificial recharge system installation using TOPSIS algorithm

Abstract

This paper is intended to propose a novel approach to select an optimal site for a small-scaled artificial recharge system installation using TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) with geospatial data. TOPSIS is a MCDM (Multi-Criteria Decision Making) method to choose the preferred one of derived alternatives by calculating the relative closeness to an ideal solution. For applying TOPSIS, in the first, the topographic shape representing optimal recovery efficiency is defined based on a hydraulic model experiment, and then an appropriate surface slope is determined for the security of a self-purification capability with DEM (Digital Elevation Model). In the second phase, the candidate areas are extracted from an alluvial map through a morphology operation, because local alluvium with a lengthy and narrow shape could be satisfied with a primary condition for the optimal site. Thirdly, a shape file over all candidate areas was generated and criteria and their values were assigned according to hydrogeologic attributes. Finally, TOPSIS algorithm was applied to a shape file to place the order preference of candidate sites.