The control and treatment of urban and highway runoff involves a variety of stakeholders in the selection of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) as the design process needs to consider not only water quantity but also water quality and amenity. Thus, technical, environmental/ecological, social/community and economic cost factors become prime potential sustainability criteria in terms of assessing long-term, cost-effective drainage options. The paper develops a multicriteria analysis methodology for the evaluation and accreditation of SUDS structures within the context of an overall decision-support framework. Approaches independently developed in the UK and France are outlined with the common multicriteria structures defining generic performance criteria together with supporting benchmark standards and exclusion thresholds. A French case study is presented to illustrate the approach and to highlight the inherent constraints and subjectivity embedded in the decision-making process. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.