Water Fee Research Articles

The Design of Variable Water Fees and its Impact on Swiss Hydropower Companies and Resource Owners

Water fees are a remuneration to be paid by the operators of hydropower plants to the owners of the water resource right. In Switzerland the fee is based on the gross capacity of the plant and independent from market conditions. This regulation implies that cantons and municipalities have a constant income from water fees, because the whole market risk lies with the producers. As revenues of hydropower companies have dropped after 2012 due to low electricity prices Swiss hydropower producers have been calling for a change in the water fee regime. The currently most probable policy change is a flexibilization of water fees. Within this paper we analyse the impacts of different water fee reform options – and how they depend on market conditions – from the hydropower producers (companies) and resource owners (cantons and municipalities) perspective. We find that electricity market price developments dominate the water fees in most cases, but for a range of electricity prices between 40 and 60 CHF/MWh water fees can make a difference. However, there is a larger variability between plants than between market scenarios, i.e., in every scenario, we find plants that make profits and others that make losses. We also show that a uniform water fee favors storage/pump-storage plants, whereas a differentiation of the water fee level by plant type favors run-of-river units.

PEMANFAATAN DATA GEOSPASIAL UNTUK PEMBUATAN PETA DAERAH IRIGASI POMPA III NAGARI SINGKARAK KECAMATAN X KOTO SINGKARAK KABUPATEN SOLOK

Selama ini sistem penetapan biaya air irigasi di DI Pompa III Nagari Singkarak berdasarkan jumlah benih yang digunakan untuk setiap lahan. Data yang tidak akurat membuat petani merasakan ketidakseimbangan antara hak yang diperoleh dengan kewajiban yang harus dibayar. Apa pun manajemen yang baik tetapi manajemen tidak didukung oleh data yang akurat, maka itu tidak akan bisa memberikan hasil yang baik. Bentuk lahan yang tidak teratur dan bertingkat menjadi kendala dalam mendapatkan data yang secara akurat mengukur luas lahan, tetapi itu tidak berarti masalah tidak dapat diselesaikan, salah satunya adalah penerapan SIG (Sistem Informasi Geografis). Metode yang digunakan dalam kegiatan ini adalah penyuluhan, pengukuran, dan pembuatan peta. Hasil dari kegiatan penyuluhan yang dilakukan adalah petani memahami pentingnya basis data. Pengukuran tanah oleh pemilik atau penyewa tanah dilakukan dengan menggunakan GPS (Global Positioning System). Data diperoleh dari hasil pengukuran dalam bentuk koordinat untuk setiap plot tanah. Data yang diperoleh dari pengukuran lapangan harus ditransfer dari perangkat lunak GPS ke ArcGIS 9.x untuk melakukan pemrosesan untuk mendapatkan tanah oleh pemiliknya masing-masing atau mengolah tanah. Data luas lahan oleh masing-masing pemilik atau penyewa penggabungan masing-masing BSK (Blok Skunder Kwarter), untuk mendapatkan peta masing-masing BSK (BSK I - BSK V). Seluruh operasi BSK menghasilkan Pump Irigasi Area Peta III Nagari Singkarak.

Water governance impacts on water adequacy in smallholder irrigation schemes in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa

AbstractWater adequacy is central to maximised agricultural production in irrigation schemes. Smallholder Irrigation Schemes (SISs) are designed to distribute water efficiently, adequately and equitably. Water governance, defined as the institutions, processes, procedures, rules and regulations involved in water management, plays an important role in water allocation and subsequently water adequacy. The intersectoral institutions involved in water governance in SISs, i.e., government, Water User Associations (WUAs), Irrigation Management Committees (IMCs) and traditional authorities, interact to formulate and design policies for running SISs. However, multilevel interaction amongst the active stakeholders at multiple levels shapes policy and underlies SIS performance. This research aimed to investigate the impacts water governance had on adequacy of water in irrigation schemes and was premised on the hypothesis that governance had no effect on water adequacy. Water adequacy describes water supply relative to demand. Adequacy indicates whether the water delivery system supplies the required amount to a section in the irrigation scheme over a period of time (daily, monthly or seasonally). Two irrigation schemes, the Mooi-River Irrigation Scheme (MRIS) and Tugela Ferry Irrigation Scheme (TFIS) were used as case studies. A descriptive analysis showed that 86% of the farmers in the TFIS had adequate water, whereas 24% had water adequacy in the MRIS. A Binary Logit model was employed to investigate the factors that influence water adequacy among irrigators. The regression model identified eight statistically significant factors that influenced water adequacy: the irrigation scheme, location of plot within the scheme, training in water management, training in irrigation, SIS irrigators' knowledge about the government's aims, availability of water licences, payment of water fees and satisfaction with the irrigation schedule. The study concluded that governance factors had influence on water adequacy in the selected SISs. The implication is that stakeholders should make irrigators aware of government Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) policy and strategies. The study recommends that the SISs introduce rules, procedures and protocols to support irrigators to enhance scheme governance and lead to the realisation of government policies.

A Multi-Criteria Assessment of Water Supply in Ugandan Refugee Settlements

Water supply challenges in emergency situations have increased in recent years and there is a need for analyses targeting economic and environmental sustainability. Our study investigated the end-user water demand, the capital and operational costs, the carbon footprint, the freshwater availability and the risks surrounding water quality for several groundwater supply alternatives in Ugandan refugee settlements. We compared hand pumps, motorised pumps (solar, diesel and hybrid) and water trucking. The end-users’ survey highlighted the significant variability of water access. The economic evaluation showed that the breakeven year for solar and diesel pumps was greatly affected by the length of the water distribution systems (e.g., pipes, storage tanks), the chosen timeframe and the daily working hours of the diesel engine. When excluding capital investment, most alternatives were economically viable at the existing water fee (0.8 USD/m3), and solar driven pumps were down to 0.09 USD/m3. Finally, the combustion of diesel caused the highest CO2-eq emissions per m3. Water trucking is the worst option in both the economic and environmental analysis at 7–8 USD/m3 and >1 kg CO2-eq/m3. The methodology and the results of this paper will support decision-makers to build and finance sustainable water provision solutions in refugee settlements.

Erzurum Daphan Sulama Birliği Birinci ve ikinci Etap Sulama Şebekesinin Performansının Değerlendirilmesi (2012-2016)

Bu çalışma, Devlet Su İşleri Müdürlüğü tarafından inşası tamamlanarak sulamaya açılan ve Daphan Sulama Derneği'ne devredilen Daphan Ovası birinci ve ikinci etap sulama projeleri alanlarının 2012-2016 yılları arasında sulama sistemi performansının değerlendirilmesi amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Araştırma sonucunda yıllık net su temin oranının sulu koşullarda bitkisel üretim yapılan alan için 7,10 ile 9,90 arasında olduğu, sulamaya açılmış toplam alanda da yıllık olarak 2,19 ile 2,60 arasında değiştiği belirlenmiştir. Sulamaya açılmış toplam alan için su temin oranları 0,93 ile 1,10 arasında olup sulu koşullarda üretim yapılan alanda 3,20 ile 4,20 aralığında değişmiştir. Sürdürülebilir sulama alanı oranı %24,53 ile %33,15 arasında gerçekleşmiş, üretim değeri oranı da %19,34 ile %26,13 arasında belirlenmiştir. Karlılık oranı 4,30 ile 9,28 arasında iken mali etkinlik oranı %17,69 ile %46,82 arasında, mali yeterlilik oranı %106 ile %145 arasında gerçekleşirken tahsilât oranı %20,66 ile %34,37 arasında kalmıştır.

Synergetic effects of water and climate policy on energy-water nexus in China: A computable general equilibrium analysis

A unified policy framework for energy and water would be beneficial considering the high interdependence of the two resources in China. In this paper, a recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model is established to examine the existence of synergetic effects within water fee policy and energy related climate policy, i.e. carbon tax, and provide insights for Chinese integrative policy-making. The results show that water fee can contribute to industrial water conservation, whereas its effect is limited under current water fee level. The adoption of a carbon tax in addition to it might further improve its water saving benefits. Furthermore, water fee can also promote the enhancement of China's emission reduction goal, and a higher carbon tax and water fee rate can achieve greater emission reduction effects. At this point, the synergetic spillover effects that water conservation benefits will be achieved simultaneously via the transition of industry into a more low-carbon form is critical for elaborating an effective strategy of environmental policy. Besides, our results suggest that giving priority to renewable power is regarded as the silver bullet to address the water and emission constraints on energy system, as it can optimize the water conservation benefits of emission reduction.

Evaluation of Water-Storage and Water-Saving Potential for Paddy Fields in Gaoyou, China

In China, the stress on agricultural water resources is becoming increasingly severe. In response, a range of water-saving irrigation (WSI) policies and practices have been promoted to improve irrigation efficiency. In this study, a water-balance model in paddy fields was calibrated and validated using a 2-year field experimental dataset collected from an irrigated area in Gaoyou, China, in 2014–2015. The model was used to assess the effects of WSI practices and provides options for implementing water-price reforms. Results show that paddy fields effectively retain rainfall with utilization rates greater than 70% for both shallow wet irrigation (SWI) and shallow humidity-regulated irrigation (SHRI) scenarios. The estimated average water-saving rates from 1960 to 2015 using SWI and SHRI are 33.7% and 43%, respectively, which represent considerable reductions in water consumption. The benefits of WSI practices combined with water management policies are also evident. For example, conversion of irrigation water to industrial water yields a 3-year average water fee of 205.2 yuan/ha using SWI and 20.6 yuan/ha using SHRI, considerably reducing farmers’ financial burden for agricultural water supplies. In conclusion, we recommend the adoption of SWI and SHRI practices in southern China as a means of partially alleviating China’s water-shortage problem.

Inequality in Access to Drinking Water and Subsidies between Low and High Income Households in Mexico City

Economic and population growth in Mexico City (CDMX) is the main cause of an increase in water demand against a naturally limited endowment, which increases the gap between water demand and supply. In a water scarcity environment, households are facing pressure to maintain their involvement in the city’s only operating body, the Water System of Mexico City (SACMEX) total supply. The objective of this work is to measure the inequality in the distribution of drinking water and water subsidies between households connected to the public network of CDMX in order to generate objective indicators of the phenomenon. Having such information provides a baseline scenario of the problem and allows for the delineation of a policy covering the minimum levels of well-being in the supply of drinking water that is appropriate for the most important city in the country. The method consists of measuring inequality through continuous variables estimating the Lorenz curve, the Gini coefficient, the targeting coefficient and elasticity in water consumption and in water subsidies among households in CDMX. Data comes from a household survey carried out in 2011, Consumption Habits, Service and Quality of Water by Household in Mexico City (EHCSCA). Results show that drinking water and subsidies present a regressive distribution, benefit high-income households and, to a lesser degree, the poorest households in the city and highlight the urgency and importance for SACMEX to redefine its policy on water distribution, fees and subsidies. The present study’s scope can contribute to the monitoring of the distribution of drinking water and of subsidies among household groups. The study justifies that the indicators employed in this work can be used and are recommended as a valuable tool in water management, especially in a dynamic environment.

Calculation of Water Resource Value in Nanjing Based on a Fuzzy Mathematical Model

In view of the complexity and uncertainty of water resources, this paper chooses an evaluation index system of 13 indicators based on the fuzzy mathematics model in three aspects: water resources, water quality and socioeconomic status. The entropy method was used to determine the weight of the index, and the water resource value of Nanjing in 2011–2015 was dynamically evaluated. The results show that the price of water resources in Nanjing from 2011 to 2015 rose from 3.43 yuan/m3 to 5.94 yuan/m3, showing a clear upward trend, but the corresponding price of water expenditure accounted for a proportion of disposable income from 2.27% to 1.87% during the same time period. This counterfactual trend proves that the current water price in Nanjing is relatively low and is not conducive to the efficient use of water resources. Given the fact that water prices have larger room for growth, the city government could initiate the reform of water pricing system and re-enact the water fee collection standards to achieve optimal allocation of water resources and sustainable development.

Improvement of the irrigation performance in Water Users Associations integrating data envelopment analysis and multi-regression models

Irrigation performance assessment is particularly important in the Water Users Associations (WUAs) operating in Calabria (Southern Italy), where collective irrigation service suffers from poor performances both from an operative and economic point of view. For many years Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been proposed for the diagnosis of Water Users Association performance; however, the number and type of related performance indicators must be selected with caution to avoid misleading and unrealistic results.In this paper, we propose to apply DEA to a limited but significant set of performance indicators and to couple it to Multiple Regression Analysis by Principal Component Regression (PCR). The proposed methods were applied to evaluating the system operation and financial performances of ten of the eleven WUAs operating in Calabria (Southern Italy) to indicate potential improvements.The analysis of the current performance indicators collected throughout five years (2011–2015) showed that in Calabrian WUAs the irrigation service is underutilised, and water delivered to crops is always in excess; the cost recovery of WUAs is very low, because of staff costs and low fee collection. DEA identified five inefficient WUAs and took the remaining five organisations as reference for performance improvement. The input-oriented DEA coupled to PCR has suggested reducing water usage, management and personnel costs and water fees, by increasing the irrigated area and the irrigation service coverage. The output–output oriented DEA coupled to PCR predicted a high increase of the cost recovery capacity of the inefficient WUAs, but in this case the improved scenario required an abnormal increase (10-fold) of the irrigated area, which may be basically unfeasible.Overall, the integration of DEA with multi-regression models and their implementation in the case study, using a limited set of easy-to-survey performance indicators, appears to be a powerful and easy tool for decision makers in the irrigation sector.

Towards a sustainable approach to wastewater treatment strategy for eutrophication abatement

Eutrophication is one of the consequences of the negative anthropogenic impact on aquatic ecosystems. It leads to the degradation of both sweet and marine ecosystems, constituting a kind of secondary pollution of waters, which disturbs all types of their use. Undertakings related to preventing the negative effects of eutrophication are mainly conducted towards reducing the loads of nutrients introduced into surface waters and controlling the entire conditions in aquatic ecosystems in order to limit the development of aquatic vegetation. The increasingly restrictive legal requirement regarding the content of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater discharged into recipients enforces the application of expensive treatment technologies, and the public is becoming more aware of the rising costs of water and wastewater fees. In addition, wastewater treatment is a factor which has a negative impact on air quality due to greenhouse gas emissions and generates other environmental problems. The challenge for facilities, however, is determining which treatment alternatives will best meet their needs, both technically and financially, and to choose the most sustainable path. The problem of establishing a reasonable level of nutrient removal from wastewater, justified from an ecological and economic point of view is discussed in the paper.

Application of Information Technology in Comprehensive Reform of Agricultural Water Price in Irrigation District

This paper has carried out the research on the application of information technology in the comprehensive reform of agricultural water price of irrigation district. Firstly, we have analyzed of the demand system, put forward the structure scheme and information system. Secondly, we have researched on the flow measurement of open channel technology, automatic gate lifting control technology, video monitoring technology, automatic irrigation and soil moisture monitoring control technology based on RF IC card water fee management technology. The software development environment was Visual Studio2015, and the structured methods are adapted to designing databases. Finally, we have completed the system management software design, RF IC card control software, it can be suitable for the comprehensive reform of agricultural water price in large and medium-sized irrigation areas, effectively enhancing the intelligent level of irrigation water management in irrigation area.

Technical-financial evaluation of rainwater harvesting systems in commercial buildings-case ase studies from Sonae Sierra in Portugal and Brazil.

Water is an essential and increasingly scarce resource that should be preserved. The evolution of the human population and communities has contributed to the global decrease of potable water availability and the reduction of its consumption is now compulsory. Rainwater harvesting systems (RWHS) are emerging as a viable alternative source for water consumption in non-potable uses. The present study aims to contribute to the promotion of water efficiency, focusing on the application of rainwater harvesting systems in commercial buildings, and comprises four stages: (i) development of a technical evaluation tool to aid the design of RWHS and support their financial evaluation; (ii) validation of the tool using operational data from an existing RWHS installed at Colombo Shopping Center, in Lisbon, Portugal; (iii) assessment of the sensibility of the technical evaluation tool results to the variation of the inputs, namely the precipitation and consumption, through a parametric analysis for the Colombo Shopping Center; and (iv) comparison of the performance and financial feasibility of hypothetical RWHS in two existing commercial buildings. The technical tool was applied to two Sonae Sierra's shopping centers, one in Portugal and one in Brazil. The installation of a 200-m3 tank is advised for the first case study, allowing non-potable water savings of 60% but a payback period of about 19years. In the Brazilian shopping, the implementation of a tank with a capacity ranging from 100 to 400m3 leads to non-potable savings between 20 and 50%, but with smaller payback period, under 2years, due to the relatively lower investment costs and higher water fees.

Willingness to Pay Additional Water Rate and Irrigation Knowledge of Farmers in Dinar Karakuyu Irrigation Areas in Turkey

Water which has become commodity product which is an important product today. Turkey is not a water rich country. In this study, agricultural enterprises in the field of Irrigation Project in Dinar Karakuyu which was implemented in 1992 by DSI. The study analysed which factors affect the willingness to pay additional irrigation water rate with the help of logit model and the irrigation knowledge of farmers was determined by Likert scale. Dinar Karakuyu irrigation network has begun to lose the function in the region. It was supposed 100% irrigation rate but decreased by approximately 9% today. In this context, DSI (General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works) plans to rehabilitation work in the same area. The main material of this study was data obtained from 67 agricultural enterprises through a survey covered by the Irrigation Rehabilitation Project in the province of Afyonkarahisar Karakuyu Dinar. The data was gathered with the help of questionnaires which were answered by farmers in Karakuyu Dinar region. The results indicated that 74.6% of farmers were willingness to pay additional water charge. The data were statistically analysed with the use of the logit model. The model results show that agricultural income, farmers‘ educational level, computer ownership, attendance of agricultural training activities, family size and agricultural experience were positive factors affect farmers‘ willingness to pay additional water fee.

A challenge of incentive for small hydropower commercial investment in Thailand

Thailand implemented a premium-price Feed-in Tariff (FIT), or ‘Adder’ program, in 2006 as an incentive to generate renewable energy. However, the Adder rate for hydropower was very low, and failed to motivate investors. Later, the Thai government decided to change the Adder program to a fixed-price FIT instead. As of 2014, no studies had analysed hydroelectric power rates in Thailand. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the suitable rate for a fixed-price FIT for hydropower in Thailand, using the concept of the actual levelized cost of renewable energy generation. The results showed that the structure of the FIT rate was comprised of three elements: installed capacity, hydropower scheme, and grid connection. From experience with the Adder program, the rate will not be limited at only 200 kW. The proposed rate offers a steady annual return for over 25 years. The recommended rate provides an IRR of 12%, with water fee included. Moreover, we recommend an exclusive promotion rate to promote partnerships with, and to motivate, local communities to conserve and manage the water resource. Furthermore, we suggest using a guideline for calculating social cost-benefits as avoided costs, as well as allocating social benefits.

Resource mobilization for community-managed rural water systems: Evidence from Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia

Rural water systems in sub-Saharan Africa are often managed by community water committees. For this to be sustainable, committees must be able to mobilize resources for operation and maintenance, repair, and/or upgrade of their water systems. Some committees collect a monetary water fee, but other options are available. Three hundred twenty-one interviews, focus group discussions and mapping activities were conducted with committees, community members, and post-construction support providers in 18 rural communities in Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia. We identified several non-monetary and non-fee mechanisms, including mobilization of personal and community assets, community institutions, and community labor. We found that several factors contribute to community decisions about resource mobilization, including season, community economic characteristics, and community institutions. We recommend that enabling actors adapt their rural water supply projects and programs to be more inclusive of these other resource mobilization options.

ECONOMY AND PARA-FISCAL LEVIES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The system of para-fiscal levies implies different types of benefits or compensation and payment of citizens and companies for the use of goods or services of state administration which are para-fiscal sources of income of the state. The main characteristics of para-fiscal levies are: they do not originate from all tax payers, but only from members of certain social groups that are linked to some common economic or social interests; they are not part of the budget funds and not regulate them fiscal authorities; they have the character of destined public revenues, as they regularly represent a dedicated revenue whit which a specific task of economic or social character would be solved; they represent a secondary tax levy, which means that they exist along with the country’s tax levy, to draw funds from the same economic resources and to have almost the same economic effects, as well as the collection of taxes; they shall be paid on the basis of laws and decisions or decision of the competent authorities (general obligation) or by contract (a specific levy, ie. an individual obligation); they shall be paid in the event of use of property of general interest and / or services of state administration; they represent giving of money, which is always direct, ie. giving cash on the basis of the decision and with the issuance of a receipt of payment (receipt from a box office or bank). Para-fiscal levies should be understood as fees that economic operators and citizens pay for the use of certain goods or services. These are not taxes and they do not serve to fill the budget. However, in Bosnia and Herzegovina the biggest part of para-fiscal levies is used as a parallel budget revenue, as revenue for the operation of the costly administrative apparatus. A large number of studies on para-fiscal levies in Bosnia and Herzegovina showed that they have a negative impact on economic growth and development. Basically para-fiscal levies, for business entities at higher levels of government, can be grouped into 25 fee and tax groups, and in 9 groups of special fees and membership fees (federal administrative fees, federal court fees, water fees, road fees, forest fees, environmental fees, fees for protection against natural and other disasters).

Public perceptions of and willingness to pay for sponge city initiatives in China

As a result of global climate change, urban flooding has become a global concern in recent years because of its significant negative impacts on cities. To cope with the frequent occurrence of urban flooding in recent years as well as water shortages, China has started a new nationwide initiative called Sponge City intended to increase urban resilience. This study aimed to examine public perceptions of and knowledge about urban flooding and sponge city construction, as well as the public’s willingness to support sponge cities through two options, which includes (1) paying a domestic water fee surcharge and (2) buying government-issued credit securities. We found that most respondents knew about urban flooding and sponge cities, and also supported sponge city construction. Residents believed that government grants and public-private partnerships (PPP) should be the main financial sources for sponge city construction. However, respondents also accepted 17% of the domestic water price as a surcharge to be used for sponge city construction. Meanwhile, the willingness to pay (WTP) for government-issued credit securities for sponge city construction was 55% of the average annual capital surplus. We also found that occupation, education, and income were the main factors affecting respondents’ WTP to support sponge city initiatives. Though increasing water prices by a certain amount will be acceptable to the public, a more properly designed PPP model should be considered and promoted by the government to overcome financial insufficiencies and ensure the sustainability of the sponge city initiative.

Understanding Farmers’ Decision-Making in Agricultural Water Fee Payment in China: The Role of Mental Accounting

To better understand farmers’ refusal to pay agricultural water fees under the current policy in rural China and their corresponding negative emotions, this paper applies mental accounting, a behavioral economics framework, to explore how the governmental policies of reform of rural taxes and fees, direct agricultural subsidy programs, and agricultural water fees individually influence farmers’ decisions in paying the agricultural water fees. Using fieldwork data from 577 farmers and 20 water managers in Sichuan, we explore farmers’ information processing regarding paying agricultural water fees via three sequential mental accounting processes, with the associated underlying principles and measures behind each process. We find that the information processing in three mental accounting scenarios related to the agricultural water fee elucidates farmers’ observed behaviors in rural China. Generally, in the three mental accounting scenarios, two conditional intuitive expectations and nine conditional intuitive preferences are formed; however, the conditions of those expectations or preferences cannot be matched with the facts due to the reform of rural taxes and fees, the direct agricultural subsidy programs, and the internal attributes of agricultural water fee, which interpret those negative behaviors in rural China. Additionally, this paper offers a view into how previous policies create negative psychological externalities (such as farmers’ psychological dependence on the government) through mental accounting to negatively influence agents’ subsequent decision-making; it highlights the significance of underlying mental factors and information processing of negative behaviors in policymaking for managing or conserving common pool resources.

Kapalı Borulu Sulama Sistemine Geçişin Ekonomik Yönden Değerlendirilmesi : Truva Sulama Birliği Örneği

In this study, 
  the increase in water-user
 revenues with transition to closed-piped system was calculated and the how much
 of the transition cost can be met with this increase in association and
 water-user revenues were assessed. Truva Irrigation Association was used as the
 study material. Based on 2009 data, the association was using open-canal irrigation
 scheme with irrigation efficiency of 54%, irrigation ratio of 92%, amount of
 water applied to per unit area of 9 343 m3/ha and accrued water fee
 of 171 839 $. Assuming a transition to closed-piped system and an irrigation
 efficiency of 90%, irrigation ratio would increase to 100%, amount of water
 applied to per unit area will decrease to 5 081 m3/ha and accrued
 water fee will increase to 187 050 $. A water saving of 4 624 502 m3
 will also be possible with this transition. Considering the cost of transition
 to closed-piped system as 5 000 $/ha, it was calculated that the association
 could reimburse this transition cost in 42 years in case it used all the
 revenues for reimbursement of transition costs.