Calculate the treatment and disposal cost caused by a detected leak entering a wastewater system. The tool converts leak flow and duration into volume, applies treatment and surcharge rates, and compares that burden with a proposed repair cost. Use it to quantify one part of the business case for prompt leak correction.
The main result is the variable wastewater cost attributable to the leak over the selected period. Break-even time indicates how long avoided treatment cost alone would take to recover the entered repair cost.
This estimate excludes damage, lost product, energy, labor, permit penalties, and fixed treatment costs that do not vary with flow.
An 8 gpm inflow operating continuously for 30 days adds 345,600 gallons. At $6.50 treatment plus $1.50 surcharge per 1,000 gallons, the treatment burden is $2,764.80, or $92.16 per day. A $2,500 repair breaks even in about 27.1 days.
Multiply gpm by 60, daily operating hours, and the number of days in the analysis period.
Use costs or fees that change with incremental wastewater volume, such as variable treatment or disposal charges.
Divide the repair cost by the daily treatment burden from the leak.
Yes. Enter zero when no separate volumetric surcharge applies.
Only if you incorporate them into an equivalent volumetric rate; otherwise calculate load-based charges separately.
| Cost component | Applied to | Included |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment rate | Each 1,000 gallons | Yes |
| Volumetric surcharge | Each 1,000 gallons | If entered |
| Repair cost | One-time comparison | Break-even only |
| Fixed facility cost | Not volume-dependent | No |