Investigation and Prioritization of the Parameters Involved in Water Distribution, Purchase, Treatment, and Facility Maintenance Costs (A Case Study of Kermanshah Province Water and Wastewater Company)

An important consideration in water resources management is the total cost of the water supplied to customers. The factors involved in water supply costs are divided into the four main components of water distribution; purchase, supply, and harvest; treatment and disinfection; and facility running and maintenance costs, each of which comprises individual parameters. In this study, the parameters in the four components are investigated and prioritized using the factor analysis method. Results show that the parameters in each componet may be coalesced into two main factors. In the water distribution component, transportation, machinary rental, building depreciation, and machinery and equipment depreciation costs may be considered as one factor while vehicle depreciation and maintenance costs as well as the costs of fixed assets account for the second factor. The treatment component involves facility depreciation, labor, materials (disinfectants), equipment depreciaion, and building depreciation costs as the first factor while machinary rental cost forms its second factor. In the purchase component, machinery and equipment depreciation, water purchase, transportation, machinary rental, and vehicle depreciation costs form one factor while building depreciation costs form the second factor. The water facility component comprises one factor that includes machinery and production equipment depreciation, vehicle depreciation, building depreciation, and labor costs and its second factor includes asset depreciation, machinary rental, and labor costs.