Step Zero Calculator
This tool is “step zero” for small water systems considering entering into a drinking water partnership through physical consolidation and is designed to help inform stakeholders of the feasibility and costs associated with consolidation compared to upgrading and maintaining their existing system. The estimates provided should be viewed as a precursor to a full feasibility study. Actual cost of both capital improvements and consolidation will vary by system based on site-specific details that are not accounted for in this tool. Optimal receiving water systems for physical consolidation and cost methodology were adapted from the Water Boards 2021 Drinking Water Cost Assessment & Gap Analysis and the 2022 Drinking Water Needs Assessment Drought Infrastructure Cost Assessment reports.
Select Water System
If your desired water system is not in the dropdown list, you may type in the name of it, and the application will use default values to begin the calculation.
Cost Comparison Summary
Select a water system from the dropdown box above to complete the Consolidation and Capital Improvement Calculators to see a comparison of costs.
Calculation Methodology Explanation
Consolidation Methodology
The methodology for calculating consolidation cost estimates builds upon work and data from the California State Water Resources Control Board for their annual Drinking Water Needs Assessment report, as well as Corona Environmental Consulting, from their Cost Analysis of California Drinking Water System Mergers study, which was completed for the Water Foundation.
Water System Data
The water system attributes used in calculation formulas by the application include:
- Join System: Population, Number of Connections, County, Elevation
- Receiving System: Elevation
- Connection Details: Route Distance, Merge Type
Cost Variables
Within the application, there are cost variables that are used to help calculate costs. While some are adjustable within the application, like the input fields above, others are set by the application.
| Variable Name | Value | Adjustable |
|---|---|---|
| Connection Fee Per Connection | $6,600 | Yes |
| Distance Buffer | 1,000 ft | No |
| Pipe Cost Per Foot | $155 | Yes |
| Service Line Fee | $5,000 | No |
| Admin and Legal | $200,000 | Yes |
| CEQA | $85,000 | No |
| SCADA | $100,000 | No |
| Lot Cost for Booster Stations (100x100ft lot) | $150,000 | No |
| Booster Station | $75,000 | No |
| Sounder Base Cost | $1,700 | No |
| Generator Base Cost | $30,134 | No |
| Well Drilling Cost | $1,200,000 | No |
| Meter Base Cost | $1,200 | No |
| Meter Software Cost | $29,000 | No |
| Contingency Adjustment Percentage | 20% | Yes |
| Urban Adjustment Percentage | 32% | No |
| Suburban Adjustment Percentage | 30% | No |
| Rural Adjustment Percentage | 0% | No |
| Planning and Construction Adjustment Percentage | 25% | No |
| Inflation Adjustment Percentage | 4.7% | No |
| Air Pollution Permitting Fees Adjustment Percentage | 5% | No |
Formulas
Based off of water system attributes, user defined inputs, and set values, the application uses a multitude of formulas to calculate intermediate subtotals, and then the total consolidation cost estimate.
| Variable Name | Variable Description | Logic Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Connections | The value based on joining system connections, used to calculate connection costs. | Number of Connections is an adjustable input field where the user can set the value. The input field is prepopulated and set to the number of connections for the selected joining system. If that value is unavailable, it is set to 8. |
| Total Connection Cost | The total connection cost based on number of connections and connection fee per connection. | Product of the value within the "Number of Connections" input field multiplied by the value within the "Connection Fees" input field. |
| Total Distance | The distance between joining and receiving systems, plus buffer. | Route Distance plus Distance Buffer. |
| Total Pipeline Cost | The total cost of pipes, based on Total Distance and Pipeline Costs. | Total Distance multiplied by the value within the "Pipeline Costs" input field. The "Pipeline Costs" input field is prepopulated and set to the value of the "Pipe Cost Per Foot" cost variable. |
| Total Service Line Cost | The service line cost for systems already within service area of another system (intersecting systems). | If the Route Merge Type is "Intersect", Total Service Line Cost is equal to the Service Line Fee cost variable value. |
| Total Material Costs | Sum of all the material costs accounted for in connection costs, pipeline costs, and service line costs | Total Connection Cost plus Total Pipeline Cost plus Total Service Line Cost |
| Elevation Adjustment | The adjustment that accounts for the cost of land and 2 booster stations if elevation change results in pressure loss of over 10psi. Pressure loss is calculated using assumption that for every 1 foot of elevation gain, pressure drops 0.433 psi. | If the difference in Receiving System Elevation minus Joining System Elevation times 0.433 is greater than 10, the Elevation Adjustment will be the Booster Station cost variable value times 2 plus the cost variable value for the Lot Cost for Booster Stations. Else, Elevation Adjustment is 0. |
| Subtotal | Sum of Total Material Costs, Elevation Adjustment if applicable, and "Admin, Legal, & CEQA Costs" | Total Material Costs + Elevation Adjustment + value within the "Admin, Legal, & CEQA Costs" input field. |
| Contingency Cost | The adjustment amount to help account for costs not explicitly included in any calculations. | Product of Subtotal multiplied by the percentage value within the "Contingency" input field. |
| Planning and Construction Adjustment Cost | The adjustment amount to help account for additional costs associated with planning and construction of a consolidation project not explicility not explicitly included in any other calculations. | Product of Subtotal multiplied by the percentage value of the Planning and Construction Adjustment Percentage cost variable. |
| Total Merger Cost | Total cost of factors directly related to material, planning, construction | Sum of "Subtotal" plus "Contingency Cost" plus "Planning and Construction Adjustment Cost". |
| Regional Adjustment Costs | The adjustment amount to help account for differences in costs between urban, suburban, and rural communities. The regional adjustment is based on the county of the Joining System, a list of urban, suburban, and rural counties from the 2021 Drinking Water Needs Assessment, and the regional adjustment multipliers of the three settings. | If the joining system county is in the list of Urban counties, the regional adjustment multiplier is set to the Urban Adjustment Percentage. If the joining system county is in the list of Suburban counties, the regional adjustment multiplier is set to the Suburban Adjustment Percentage. If the joining system county is in the list of Rural Counties, or is not in any list, the adjustment multiplier is set to 1, to account for no adjustment. The Regional Adjustment Costs is then calculated by finding the product of "Total Merger Cost" times "Regional Adjustment Percentage". |
| Inflation Adjustment Costs | The adjustment amount to help account for inflation costs. | The product of (Total Merger Cost plus Regional Adjustment Costs) times Inflation Adjustment Percentage. |
| Total Consolidation Cost | The adjustment amount to help account for inflation costs. | The sum of Total Merge Cost plus Regional Adjustment Costs plus Inflation Adjustment Costs. |
Capital Improvement Methodology
The methodology for calculating capital improvement costs builds upon a Small Water System Budget Projection/Capital Improvement Plan tool developed by the Water Board.
Average and Maximum Daily Demand
Within the Capital Improvement section, costs for certain water system components and treatment are dependent on the consumption amount of the water system. The application utilizes different consumption amounts, based on the formulas for various items: Average Daily Demand (ADD), Maximum Daily Demand (MDD), and Flow Rate in gpm. The formulas for calculating them are as follows:
Average Daily Demand: Served Population * 150 gallons
Maximum Daily Demand: ADD * 2.25 peaking factor
Maximum Daily Demand Flow Rate (gpm): MDD / 1440 minutes
System Components Data
The application has prepopulated a list of common water system components to allow for quicker data entry. The costs and lifespans associated with each water system component are high level estimates, and were determined from a variety of sources, including both the 2021 and 2022 Drinking Water Needs Assessment, and user research discussions, the Typical Equipment Life Expectancy table, and the Small Water System Budget Projection/Capital Improvement Plan tool.
The cost estimate for certain components were calculated using formulas derived from the 2022 Drinking Water Needs Assessment, which are detailed below. Cost variables from the above section are referenced.
| Component Name | Formula |
|---|---|
| Sounder | Sounder Base Cost + Regional Adjustment + Inflation Adjustment |
| Generator | Generator Base Cost + ($341 * MDD Flow Rate) + Regional Adjustment + Air Polution Permitting Fees Adjustment + Inflation Adjustment |
| Well Development Cost | ($145.01 * MDD Flow Rate) + $32,268 |
| Well Pump and Motor Cost | ($136.73 * MDD Flow Rate) + $116,448 |
| New Well | Well Drilling Cost + CEQA + SCADA + Well Development Cost+ Well Pump and Motor Cost + Total Cost Planning and Construction Adjustment + Regional Adjustment + Inflation Adjustment |
| Meters (all connections) | (Meter Base Cost * Number of Connections) + Meter Software Cost + Regional Adjustment + Inflation Adjustment |
Treatment Costs
In addition to water system components, the application also allows the user to add cost estimates for various treatment types, based on the contaminant and treatment. The costs for these were based on formulas detailed in the 2021 Needs Assessment, specifically Attachment C3: Treatment Cost Methodology Details. The formulas for treatment capital and operational costs mostly relied on the water system's MDD Flow Rates to calculate the estimated cost.