WSP08301

• File Number: 8273.100.50
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control - Federal Agency Reports - BOR
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 2/1/1988
• Title: Estimating Economic Impacts of Salinity of the Colorado River - Final Report - February 1988
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Economic Damages to Households... 45

i\.)
-..:(
t'0
tv

highcr salinity levels, to 4.0 years at 500 mgiL
and to 2.0 years at 800 mgiL TDS and higher.
Thus in a 300 mgiL TDS area, for every 100
automobilcs, 10,8 would need radiator repair or
replacement each year. Tbat is, (100 x 70%) /
6.5 = 10.8. In a low salinity area (200 mgiL or
less), 5.4 perccQt of automobiles would need
radiator service annually.

The average cost of radiator service can be
established more closely. Using data from
Radiator Reporter and Pricing Guid,>, plus local
data on the cost of radiator replacement, the
average cost is calculated as $99.20 for copper
and brass radiators.

62% clean and repair @ $35.00 = $21.70
24% recores @ $145.00 = $34.80
14% replacement @ $305.00 = $42.70
Weighted Average = $99.20

For aluminum radiators, clean and repair is
not effective, so the average cost is calculated as
$204.20.

63% rccores @ $145.00 = $ 91.35
37% replacement @ $305.00 = $112.85
Weighted average = $204.20

As more than half of the automobiles use
aluminum radiators, a weighted average repair!
replaccment cost of $162.20 (1986 $) is used.

(60% x 204.20) + (40% x 99.20) = $162.20

Automobile cooling systems are added to the
list of items for which expenditures increase with
higher salinity concentrations. The average num-
ber of automobiles and trucks per household in
each southwestern metropolitan area (1.52) has
becn determined from Census data, and an
extrapolation factor (1.29, also calculated from
Census data) has been used to account for com-
mercial and industrial vehicles. No estimate is
made for salinity damages to water pumps and
other cooling system components because of lack
of data, so the automotive damages are some-
what understated.

.

Current Average Value of
Salinity Damaged Household
Items

~I

Since this study covers all of the lower
Colorado River Basin, Los Angeles, and San
Diego, the average value of household items that
may be damaged by salinity is derived from the
Fall!Winter 1986 Sears catalogue whicb is con-
sidered to contain representative retail appliance
costs over the region. The prices listed repre-
sent full (1986 dollars) replacement value for
mid-range items and includes freight and local
taxes. Average replacement costs for household
water pipes (replaced by copper) and household
wastewater pipes (replaced with plastic) have
been estimated for a typical southwestern home
by a plumbing contractor, and include labor.
Costs of water heater replacement have been es-
timated at 75 percent including installation labor,
25 percent without labor. Most of the other
items can be self-installed so, for conservatism,
no labor costs are included. Other commercial
installation and labor costs also are omitted,
since the proportion of hired installation is not
known. This results in an understatement of ac-
tual damages.

. ~

.'

..
,I

'.1
.

"
,r

:,
1
i

. Gas Water Heaters - 5 year warranty
30-gallon: $161.25; 4O-gallon: $184.38;
50-gallon: $232.33; 4O-gallon installed (from
plumbing firm estimate): $307.00

,
,
1
~
11
~
I
;

. Electric Water Heaters - 5 year warranty
3O-gallon: $150.79; 40 gallon: $173.01;
52-gallon: $196.92

. Laundry tub - $ 60.05

.,
!
i
,
.
.1
1
1
~

. Tub faucet - $32.02

. Garbage disposal - 1/2 horsepower:
$125.29

. Kitchen faucets: $63.99

. Bathroom faucets: $63.94

. Bathtub faucets: $96.02

. Built-in dishwasher: $416.58

. Clothes washer: $446.34

. Toilet: $96.41