WSP10809

• File Number: 8273.500
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - EPA
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 4/1/1978
• Title: Integrating Desalination and Agricultural Salinity Control Alternatives
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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actual imp1emenatation of salinity controls. A desalting system
as used herein consists of facilities for supplying raw water
(water to be desalted) to the plant, the desalting plant itself,
and facilities to convey and dispose of the brine. Transpor-
tation of product water beyond the confines of this system is
not considered.

.

The cost simulations described in this section are intended
to represent the "reconnaissance level" sensitivity to cost
estimating input parameters and are not, therefore, inclusive
of the many factors necessary for detailed "definite plan" level
estimates. For example, internal design optimization, alter-
native equipment from various manufactures, and many climatic,
environmental, or topographic conditions are not included. At
this level of sophistication, two major references have been
written from which the bulk of information necessary for
desalting cost simulation have been abstracted. prehn,et al.
(1970) summarized a desalting cost calculation procedure for
several desalting methods and related facilities. This work
was subsequently improved and expanded by the Bureau of Reclama-
tion (U. S. Department of the Interior, 1972). These costing
procedures were first mathematically simulated and then program-
med for a digital computer (Appendix B), and include the follow-
ing seven processing systems:

(1) multi-stage flash distillation (MSF);
(2) vertical tube evaporation - multi-stage flash
distillation (VTE-MSF);
(3) vapor compression - vertical tube evaporation -
multi-stage flash distillation (VC-VTE-MSF);
(4) electrodialysis (ED);
(5) reverse osmosis (RO);
(6) vacuum freezing - vapor compression (VF-VC); and
(7) ion exchange (IX).

The computer code simulation of the desalting costs for the
seven processes is the end result of the desalination cost
analysis described in this section and is hereafter denoted as
the desalting submodel.

DESALINATION COST ANALYSIS

In general, the costs associated with desalting systems
may be classified as either those expended during construction
or those required ownuaJ.ly to operate and maintain the facilities.
These costs are subject to inflationa1 pressures and must
therefore be periodically updated. Once costs are current,
various relationships between the costs and system performance
can be formulated. A detailed description of the costing
models will be presented in a later section.

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