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Cooling Tower Water Treatment Cost Calculator
Cooling tower treatment is a recurring opex line that scales with tonnage and run hours.
Total annual cost
$73,000
Chemical cost
$7,000
Water + sewer cost
$66,000
How the math works
Ton-hours = tons × hours. Chemical = ton-hours × $/ton-hour. Blowdown = ton-hours × gal/ton-hour ÷ 1000 × (water + sewer).
500 × 4000 = 2M ton-hours × $0.0035 = $7,000 chemical + 6M gal/1000 × $11 = $66,000 water/sewer = $73,000.
How to Use
- Enter cooling tower tonnage.
- Enter annual run hours.
- Enter chemical $/ton-hour.
- Enter blowdown gallons/ton-hour.
- Enter water $/kgal.
- Enter sewer $/kgal.
- Read total annual treatment cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Treatment cost drivers?
Chemicals (corrosion inhibitor, scale inhibitor, biocide): $0.0015-$0.005 per ton-hour. Blowdown water + sewer: 2-4 gal/ton-hour at $4-12/kgal combined. Energy for pumps + fans (separate): not in treatment but $0.04-0.10/ton-hour. Total treatment opex: $0.008-0.025/ton-hour. 500-ton tower at 4000 hours/yr × $0.015 = $30k/yr typical.
Cycles of concentration?
Ratio of solids in tower water to make-up water. Higher cycles = less blowdown but more scaling/corrosion risk. 3-5 cycles typical. 6-8 cycles aggressive (saves water but requires more chemical). Below 3: water waste. Above 8: scaling risk. Modern controls with conductivity meters automate cycles to optimum.
Legionella + biocide?
Legionnaires disease risk in poorly treated towers. Routine biocide dosing (oxidizing + non-oxidizing alternated): $0.001-0.003/ton-hour. ASHRAE 188 + state codes mandate management plans. Annual testing $1-3k. Outbreak liability: $5-50M+. Best practice: contracted treatment vendor with culture testing + risk assessment.
Water reuse opportunities?
Reclaim cooling tower blowdown for landscape irrigation: $5-25k retrofit. Captures 30-60% of blowdown water value. RO + UV reuse: $50-300k installs, 5-10 year payback in water-stressed markets. Condensate from AHUs returned to tower: free water recovery. ESG benefit beyond direct savings.
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