Water Treatment Efficiency Calculator

Calculator Inputs

Plant Name

Design Flow (m³/day)

Influent Flow (m³/day)

Effluent Flow (m³/day)

Operating Hours (per day)

Energy Use (kWh/day)

Chemical Consumption (kg/day)

Target Average Removal (%)

Influent Turbidity (NTU)

Effluent Turbidity (NTU)

Influent TSS (mg/L)

Effluent TSS (mg/L)

Influent BOD (mg/L)

Effluent BOD (mg/L)

Influent COD (mg/L)

Effluent COD (mg/L)

Reset

Inputs are arranged in three columns on large screens, two on medium screens, and one on mobile devices.

Example Data Table

Item	Sample Input	Unit	Notes
Design Flow	6000	m³/day	Reference capacity for utilization checks.
Influent Flow	5000	m³/day	Incoming water to the process.
Effluent Flow	4700	m³/day	Final treated discharge or reuse flow.
Operating Hours	22	hours/day	Actual daily runtime.
Energy Use	1550	kWh/day	Total process energy.
Chemical Consumption	68	kg/day	Total chemical feed used.
Turbidity	120 → 3.5	NTU	Shows very strong clarification performance.
TSS	210 → 12	mg/L	Used for removal and mass reduction.
BOD	180 → 18	mg/L	Indicates organic load reduction.
COD	320 → 42	mg/L	Measures chemical oxygen demand reduction.

Formula Used

1. Removal Efficiency

Removal Efficiency (%) = ((Influent Concentration − Effluent Concentration) ÷ Influent Concentration) × 100

2. Water Recovery

Water Recovery (%) = (Effluent Flow ÷ Influent Flow) × 100

3. Runtime Utilization

Runtime Utilization (%) = (Operating Hours ÷ 24) × 100

4. Capacity Utilization

Capacity Utilization (%) = (Influent Flow ÷ Design Flow) × 100

5. Pollutant Mass Removed

Mass Removed (kg/day) = ((Q_in × C_in) − (Q_out × C_out)) × 0.001

6. Energy Intensity

Energy Intensity (kWh/m³) = Energy Use ÷ Effluent Flow

7. Chemical Intensity

Chemical Intensity (kg/m³) = Chemical Consumption ÷ Effluent Flow

8. Average Removal Efficiency

Average Removal = Mean of turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD removal efficiencies with available valid values.

How to Use This Calculator

Enter plant flow data, including design, influent, and effluent flow.
Add daily operating hours, total energy use, and chemical consumption.
Provide influent and effluent quality values for turbidity, TSS, BOD, and COD.
Set your target average removal percentage for quick compliance comparison.
Press Calculate Efficiency to display results below the header and above the form.
Review summary metrics, parameter-by-parameter performance, and resource intensity values.
Use the CSV or PDF buttons to export the result tables for reporting.

FAQs

1. What does this calculator measure?

It estimates treatment performance using contaminant removal, water recovery, runtime utilization, capacity loading, pollutant mass removed, energy intensity, and chemical intensity.

2. Why are influent and effluent flow both needed?

Using both values shows water recovery and supports better mass removal estimates. This is important when sludge losses, backwash losses, or evaporation change process volume.

3. Why is turbidity mass removed shown as N/A?

Turbidity is an optical quality indicator, not a direct mass concentration. The calculator still computes turbidity removal percentage, but avoids reporting a misleading mass removal value.

4. What is a good average removal efficiency?

That depends on process goals and regulations. Many plants aim for high removal on suspended solids and organics, often above 80% or 90% for strong performance.

5. Can this be used for drinking water and wastewater plants?

Yes. The structure works for both, provided your chosen parameters and interpretation fit the treatment system. Always compare outputs with plant-specific operating and regulatory targets.

6. What does energy intensity tell me?

Energy intensity shows how much energy is needed per cubic meter treated. Lower values usually indicate better operational efficiency, assuming treatment quality remains acceptable.

7. What happens if my effluent is higher than influent?

The related removal value becomes negative, which signals process deterioration, measurement error, or contamination introduced during treatment. Review sampling points and operating conditions.

8. Can I use the exported files in reports?

Yes. The CSV export works well for spreadsheets, while the PDF export is convenient for quick plant summaries, maintenance reviews, and operator performance documentation.