Assessment of municipal water quality criteria in consideration of microbiological and physicochemical parameters using a fuzzy decision-making framework

Water is a significant element for the sustainability of life and is crucial for many aspects, such as agriculture, cities, ecosystems, industries, and people. This study focuses on municipal water quality assessments for urbanization activities and human health concerns when dealing with the sustainable city concept. For the first time, an integrated fuzzy decision-making framework is proposed to evaluate municipal water quality criteria with microbiological parameters, heavy metals, and other chemicals. For this aim, the eight main criteria and forty-four sub-criteria were specified to evaluate municipal water quality for a sustainable city. A case study was performed in Bayburt, Türkiye, to evaluate 130 water depots when dealing with a number of scenarios. Moreover, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6.1 and 6.3 can be achieved through the study. Finally, this study presents how to develop safe and clean water management for the concept of a sustainable city.