Abroad examination of the water resource project selection process was undertaken, based in part on case studies of the Boston, Miami, Phoenix, and Tucson metropolitan areas. Problems typically arise sequentially, generally in crisis situations. The decision point is generally diffuse as administrators over-delegate their authority. The study makes a broad range of recommendations to local decision-makers, describing proper participants in the planning process, informational requirements for anticipating needs, some innovative alternative solutions to problems, and various technical and non-technical factors which should be considered in making a selection. A new, mathematical approach to project selection based on consensus ranking of alternative projects is also proposed.