AWWA JAW10137

The WATer MANagement model (WATMAN) provides a method for evaluating the economics of conventional and new water treatment technologies for solving water supply and treatment problems. Initially developed to address the cost functions applicable to water systems serving more than 20,000 persons, WATMAN has been expanded for application to small water systems serving populations of 100 to 10,000. To demonstrate the effectiveness of WATMAN, this article presents two hypothetical cases and two actual situations in which the model selects the most economical of preferred water supply options. Unit processes and technologies analyzed by WATMAN for small water systems include regionalization, alternative water sources, additional conventional treatment, package plants, dual water systems, point-of-use treatment, and distribution of bottled water. Includes 20 references, tables, figures.