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Plant Engineering Calculator

Updated Sep 18, 2026

Cooling Tower Water Cost Calculator — Makeup, Blowdown & Annual Spend

Annualize cooling-tower makeup and blowdown volumes and combine water, sewer and treatment rates into an operating-cost baseline.

Live calculationWorking shownPrivate in browser

Inputs

Results

Annual makeup 15000 m³
Annual blowdown 4000 m³
Water cost $15000
Treatment cost $3000
Blowdown/sewer cost $2000
Total annual cost $20000
More actions

Shared links reopen these inputs. Recent and saved calculations stay in this browser unless you clear site data.

Formula

annual makeup=makeup rate×hours; cost=volume×unit rates.

Your calculation, step by step

These steps use the values currently entered above so the result can be checked independently.

  1. 1.Annual makeup = 3.000 × 5000 = 15000.00 m³.
  2. 2.Annual blowdown = 0.800 × 5000 = 4000.00 m³.
  3. 3.Purchased water = 15000.00 × $1.000 = $15000.00; treatment = 15000.00 × $0.200 = $3000.00.
  4. 4.Blowdown/sewer = 4000.00 × $0.500 = $2000.00.
  5. 5.Total = $15000.00 + $3000.00 + $2000.00 = $20000.00/year.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter measured or design values using the units shown beside each field.
  2. Review the live results and the substituted calculation steps before using the estimate.
  3. Check the assumptions below, then continue to a related calculator when the next engineering decision needs another model.

Worked example

A tower using 3 m³/h makeup for 5,000 h consumes 15,000 m³/year before pricing water and treatment.

Assumptions and limits

  • Enter measured or separately calculated makeup/blowdown rates.
  • Tariffs may include tiered, sewer or demand charges not represented by a flat unit rate.
  • Use a water-balance owner first when evaporation, drift and cycles still need to be derived.

How to interpret the result

Treat the primary result as an engineering screening value, then use the secondary outputs to understand scale, energy or operating impact. Confirm site measurements, equipment limits and applicable standards before making a design or control change.

Questions engineers ask

Why are makeup and blowdown cost streams separated?

Makeup drives purchased-water and treatment volume, while blowdown may also attract sewer or discharge cost. Keeping them separate prevents double counting and lets the result reflect different local tariffs.

Should evaporation and drift be entered separately?

This owner expects the measured or separately calculated makeup and blowdown rates. Use the cooling-tower water-balance owner when evaporation, drift and cycles must first be derived from heat load or concentration ratio.

What costs are not represented by a flat water-rate model?

Tiered tariffs, demand charges, minimum fees, discharge temperature/chemistry penalties and nonlinear treatment costs can all matter. Replace the simple unit rates with a site-specific cost model when those charges are material.

Continue the calculation

Use the next calculator in the same engineering workflow instead of restarting from search.

cooling tower water balancecooling tower blowdown savingscooling tower cycles
Methodology. MAXScanner shows the governing formula, entered values and calculation outputs so the estimate is auditable. The calculator is a screening aid; assumptions and equipment-specific limits remain part of the engineering review.