How cost-effective are community water filtration plants?
Written by
Paul Reynolds
Reviewed by
Prof. Charles Hartman, Ph.D.The low price point of approximately $0.005 per gallon is due to the efficient operation of large-scale operations utilizing community water filtration plants. These municipal systems provide water to literally thousands of individuals daily, thus lowering the price per person. They also incur expensive diseases and the deterioration of infrastructure costs due to the soiling of our country and its citizens.
Scale Advantages
- Large plants reduce per-gallon processing costs
- Shared infrastructure lowers distribution expenses
- Bulk chemical purchasing cuts treatment costs
Preventive Savings
- Avoid $4 billion annual waterborne disease treatments
- Prevent $12 billion pipe corrosion damage yearly
- Reduce industrial equipment replacement costs
Operational Innovations
- Energy recovery systems cut power use
- Automation reduces labor requirements
- Predictive maintenance extends asset lifespan
Investment returns are longer-term. Building a plant costs $10-$ 100 million, depending on its size. This expense blocks off higher future expenses. Water-borne diseases cost communities millions of $ in future payments. Pipe corrosion escalates when not treated. Treating plants protects communities financially.
The rural areas benefit enormously. Small modular plants serve populations of under 500. They are 30% less expensive than conventional systems. Maintenance is performed by local technicians. These are inexpensive solutions for clean water in these remote areas. They alleviate expensive water hauling.
Industrial partnerships enable efficiency enhancements by allowing breweries and factories to pretreat their water, thereby reducing the load on municipalities. They share such costs with the community. Revenue models may include providing byproducts, such as biogas. All things considered, these methods will enhance the overall economics of the plant.
Climate resilience generates savings. It comes from modern treatment plants that mitigate contamination from flooding and lessen the impact of drought. This results in not needing emergency supplies of water. Preventive measures are always less expensive than responding to a crisis. Each community will save money while ensuring a water secure future all year round.
Read the full article: Water Filtration Plants: Processes and Importance
