Desalination Brine Disposal Cost Calculator
Estimate the annual cost of disposing desalination brine. Supply the average daily concentrate volume, the per-m³ disposal fee, and optionally the number of operating days to reveal the yearly cash requirement for brine management.
Engineering estimate only. Validate assumptions with disposal vendors and environmental permits.
Examples
- 1,200 m³/day at $4.75 per m³, 330 operating days ⇒ annual disposal cost $1,881,000.00.
- 650 m³/day at $3.20 per m³, full-year operation ⇒ annual disposal cost $759,800.00.
FAQ
How do I include brine concentration?
The calculator focuses on volume-driven fees. To model concentration surcharges, multiply the fee by the expected uplift and adjust the per-m³ cost input accordingly.
Can I use this for inland desalination projects?
Yes. Simply enter the disposal method's cost structure, whether it is deep-well injection, trucking to a disposal site, or evaporation ponds.
What if disposal pricing is tiered?
Enter a weighted average per-m³ rate that reflects the expected volume mix, or run separate scenarios for each tier and combine the totals.
Does this include capital costs for concentrate treatment?
No. This tool isolates annual operating expense. Layer in capital amortisation or lease payments separately to get a full life-cycle cost view.
Additional Information
- Result reflects concentrate handling only; pretreatment sludge or waste-haul charges should be added separately.
- Per-m³ pricing can vary widely by disposal method — adjust the input to model deep-well injection, evaporation ponds, or third-party hauling.
- Use the operating days field to reflect seasonal plants or maintenance shutdowns instead of assuming year-round operation.
- Pair the cost with desalination recovery or energy models to evaluate whether increasing recovery or adding zero-liquid-discharge equipment is justified.