In this paper important factors in determining improvement priorities for water pipes were categorized into the effects of a pipe failure to entire pipe network and the characteristics of individual pipe. Subsequently, mathematical models that can quantify these factors were developed using the Fuzzy techniques. The effects of a pipe failure to entire pipe network and the characteristics of individual pipe that were estimated by Fuzzy techniques were coined as Fuzzy Importance Index and Fuzzy

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... aracteristic Index, respectively. The Fuzzy Characteristic Index was further categorized into Fuzzy Deterioration Index and Fuzzy Difficulty Index. Considerations were given to applying weights to specific factors in the developed model depending on the circumstances of model applications. To provide an example of the methodology an example pipe network, Net3, of the EPANET program was used. The Fuzzy Importance Index (FII) and Fuzzy Deterioration Index (FDI) were calculated for the Net3 network by considering the hydraulic effects of a pipe failure on the entire pipe network and the pipe deterioration as one of the individual pipe characteristics. Subsequently, the improvement priorities of the pipes in the Net3 pipe network were established based on the FII and FDI.