This paper emerges from an American Water Works Association Research Foundation project entitled "Balancing Multiple Water Quality Objectives: A Technical and Managerial Approach." The project recognizes that much fundamental and practical understanding has been gained from studies focused on specific water quality issues. These individual studies, however, have not addressed the problems of simultaneous optimization to meet multiple water quality objectives. This study addresses the issue of interdependent water quality objectives and treatment process optimization. The objectives of this study are twofold: Identify a method for anticipating and logically resolving multiple, interdependent, and often times conflicting water quality objectives; and Develop a decisionmaking framework for comparing treatment alternatives.