Drinking water safety and comparison of drinking water characteristics with multi-criteria decision making (mcdm) methods

Abstract

Food and food security have been a strategic issue for societies throughout human history. Countries tried to be self-sufficient in food, especially in basic foodstuffs. Water safety has become one of the most crucial components in the idea of food safety due to the gradual decrease and pollution of water and water resources, as well as the constant rise in the global population and the need for water. Turkiye seems like a state with lots of water resources. However, due to the drought brought on by climate change, the water needs of the quickly growing population, and the ongoing rise in the amount of water needed in agriculture, the amount of water utilized per person has fallen below the critical level. The problem of drought and water scarcity is expected to deepen in the coming years. In this context, it is seen that the number of enterprises in the packaged water market will increase day by day and the water market will continue to grow. Consumers make a brand choice by looking at the mineral values or the price written on the water bottles. Although many factors are effective in brand selection, many consumers tend to make decisions by looking at the pH value. Not only the pH value but also the minerals in the water have indispensable effects for human life. Therefore, in order to raise awareness of consumers in their preferences, a model was created in which the healthiest water brand is determined by evaluating the properties of bottled water with the standard deviation based MAUT, one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods.