A distributed constraint multi-agent model for water and reclaimed wastewater allocation in urban areas: Application of a modified ADOPT algorithm.

Distributed Constraint Optimization (DCOP)-based approaches, as the distributed version of constraint optimization, provide a framework for coordinated decision making by a team of agents. In this paper, an agent-based DCOP model is developed to allocate water and reclaimed wastewater to demands considering the conflicting interests of involved stakeholders. One of the well-known DCOP algorithms, ADOPT1, is modified to incorporate an agent responsible for monitoring and conserving water resources. This new algorithm considers the social characteristics of agents and a new form of interaction between agents. For the first time in the literature, a real-world water and reclaimed wastewater allocation problem is formulated as a DCOP and solved using the Modified ADOPT (MADOPT) algorithm. To evaluate the MADOPT algorithm, it is applied to a water and reclaimed wastewater allocation problem in Tehran, Iran. The results illustrate the applicability and efficiency of the proposed methodology in dealing with large-scale multi-agent water resources systems. It is also shown that agents' selfishness and social relationships could affect their water use policies. • A multi-agent model is presented for urban water and treated wastewater management. • A modified version of Asynchronous Distributed Constraint Optimization is proposed. • The algorithm considers a monitoring agent which exists in environmental systems. • The algorithm is applied to a large-scale real-world environmental system. • The results illustrate the applicability and efficiency of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]