Question

If your goal is to reduce long-term costs, what is the formula for calculating if the water saved by drip irrigation outweighs the cost of the system setup and repairs?

Accepted Answer

To see if a drip system saves you money, you compare the total money you spend on the system against the total money you save on your water bill over time. First, add up the setup cost, which is the price of the parts like hoses and emitters, and the ongoing repair cost, which is the money you spend to fix leaks or replace broken pieces over the years. Next, figure out the water savings by calculating the difference between your old water bill and your new, lower water bill after installing the system. Your goal is for the total savings to be a bigger number than the total cost. You can think of it like buying a fancy coffee machine to save money on expensive shop coffees; if the machine costs one hundred dollars but you save ten dollars every week, you will have paid off the machine and started saving real money after ten weeks. If the total savings over the life of the system are higher than the cost to buy and fix it, then your drip system is a smart way to lower your long-term costs.

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If your goal is to reduce long-term costs, what is the formula for calculating if the water saved by drip irrigation outweighs the cost of the system setup and repairs?

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