| TABLE 2 TOWN OF BUCKEYE Operating and Maintenance Costs of Desalting* |
||
| Item | Cost Per Year | Cost per 1,000 Gallon |
| Electrical Costs/EDR System, Well Pumps, Building, Lighting, etc. | $85,000 | $0.66 |
| Labor, Operating, & Maintenance | 34,000 | 0.26 |
| Miscellaneous (Chemicals, Insurance, Repairs to Building, Auditing, etc.) | 14,000 | 0.11 |
| Bond Amortization | 125,000 | 0.97 |
| Future Reserve | 0 | 0 |
| Total Operating & Maintenance Costs | $258,000 | $2.00 |
| *Based on actual 1988 production of 129,000,000 gallons | ||
Abstract
In 1962 the Town of Buckeye, Arizona became the first U.S. community to treat all of its
municipal water supply by desalting. This electrodialysis (ED) desalting plant had a
capacity of 650,000 GPD and operated continuously until 1988 when the town installed a new
900,000 GPD Electrodialysis Reversal (EDR) system. This paper will review the Town of
Buckeye water requirements, the needs for desalting the municipal supply, and the total
system cost including operating and maintenance costs. Operational characteristics will be
discussed based on data from the new EDR system such as flow rates, monthly water
analysis, water recovery and applied power.
The Need for Desalination
Buckeye, Arizona, is a quintessential small town America. Its 4,000 residents reside
mainly in a one square mile townsite surrounded by some of the world's most productive
cottonfarming country. Located about 35 miles west of Phoenix, the area enjoys a mild
winter and hot summer climate with only about seven (7) inches of rainfall annually. It is
served by an excellent transportation network and lies along major routes from Phoenix to
San Diego and Los Angeles. It is known for its warm, friendly people and family-oriented
lifestyle.
Despite Buckeye's numerous advantages, however, water quality remains a problem. (Please note that I emphasized the word "quality." Even though it is situated in a water scarce desert, geological conditions of the Salt River/Gila River Valley have blessed the community with a high water table, so high in fact that the Buckeye Irrigation Company has to operate dewatering wells to prevent waterlogging of thousands of acres of prime farmland.) All of the water used for domestic purposes in the Buckeye area comes from wells or bottles—no surface water is available. Almost all of the well water, although organically safe, is loaded with minerals. Typical well salinity varies from 1,500 to 4,000 ppm TDS, which at best is more than three times the Federal standard. Salty water ruins pipes and appliances, contains unhealthy quantities of some minerals and just plain tastes bad.