Economics
Environ-Works’ plants, modular/package or municipal, offer significant cost savings
- Power usage is approximately 50% less than an Activated Sludge plant.
- Maintenance (replacement of parts, cleaning blockages and filters) is approximately 30% less.
- Manpower for onsite adjustments (testing influent and effluent, adding chemicals, checking components) is minimized or eliminated.
- Avoid the cost of municipal sewer connections or “taps” of $300,000 and more.
To provide an E-W plant, either modular or municipal, costs about the same as a traditional activated sludge design plant. But the savings on these major cost factors makes operating and repayment of a plant a serious consideration. A municipality could either charge less to its customers, or create a revenue stream or reserves, from the savings.
And a developer could:
1. Promote the service as an environmentally-friendly/green feature and as a cost savings over municipal service.
2. Charge the same as a municipality but use the savings to pay off the plant and/or keep the profit from operation of the plant for the next 50 or more year. (Useful life of our plants is in excess of 100 years.)
In order to charge for sewage treatment, a developer or management entity would need to apply to become a Municipal Utility District. As a M.U.D., the developer/HOA/POA would be subject to:
- NC Dept. of Environmental Quality plant approval and inspections
- Meter maintenance and inspections
- Maintaining sampling records and solids disposal records
- Keeping maintenance records
