Coverage-Aware Break-Even Conditions for Polymeric Membrane-Based Water Reuse in Arid Urban Systems
4 affiliations
- 1AI Center, Faculty of Computer and Information Systems, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia
- 2Department of Civil Engineering, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
- 3AI V&V Lab, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
- 4Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
A utility reclaiming effluent with polymeric membranes must choose a configuration and a deployment coverage. A coverage-aware volume and cost model for an illustrative arid zone of 10Mm3/yr compares ultrafiltration (Configuration A) with ultrafiltration plus polyamide thin-film-composite reverse osmosis (Configuration B). Membrane parameters are literature-derived, eligibility and placement assumed, and no experiments were performed. At 50% coverage and 1 USD/m3, Configuration A avoids 11.5 percentage points of potable input at 0.48 USD/m3 and Configuration B 20.4 points at 0.70 USD/m3, or 0.56 and 0.82 USD/m3 without real-loss credit. Break-even coverages are 11.7% and 11.5%. Configuration B is preferable above a crossover value of 0.98 USD/m3 (1.15 without loss credit) and leads in 46.2% of paired draws at 1 USD/m3. Feed salinity, regulation, concentrate cost, and capital and financing costs move the crossover most. Under independent inputs and assumed eligibility, approved demand rather than recovery limits volume in at least 98.8% of draws, and placement dominates net-benefit variance. Adverse feed conditions that couple operating and cost parameters make treatment costs comparably influential for Configuration B. The thresholds are conditional criteria, not city-specific predictions.
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BibTeX
@article{syed2026coverageaware,
title = {{Coverage-Aware Break-Even Conditions for Polymeric Membrane-Based Water Reuse in Arid Urban Systems}},
author = {Toqeer Ali Syed and Ali Alatify and Ali Akarma and Muhammad Tayyab Naqash and Abdulaziz Alqurashi},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/polym18212773},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2773},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Coverage-Aware Break-Even Conditions for Polymeric Membrane-Based Water Reuse in Arid Urban Systems
AU - Toqeer Ali Syed
AU - Ali Alatify
AU - Ali Akarma
AU - Muhammad Tayyab Naqash
AU - Abdulaziz Alqurashi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18212773
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2773
AB - A utility reclaiming effluent with polymeric membranes must choose a configuration and a deployment coverage. A coverage-aware volume and cost model for an illustrative arid zone of 10Mm3/yr compares ultrafiltration (Configuration A) with ultrafiltration plus polyamide thin-film-composite reverse osmosis (Configuration B). Membrane parameters are literature-derived, eligibility and placement assumed, and no experiments were performed. At 50% coverage and 1 USD/m3, Configuration A avoids 11.5 percentage points of potable input at 0.48 USD/m3 and Configuration B 20.4 points at 0.70 USD/m3, or 0.56 and 0.82 USD/m3 without real-loss credit. Break-even coverages are 11.7% and 11.5%. Configuration B is preferable above a crossover value of 0.98 USD/m3 (1.15 without loss credit) and leads in 46.2% of paired draws at 1 USD/m3. Feed salinity, regulation, concentrate cost, and capital and financing costs move the crossover most. Under independent inputs and assumed eligibility, approved demand rather than recovery limits volume in at least 98.8% of draws, and placement dominates net-benefit variance. Adverse feed conditions that couple operating and cost parameters make treatment costs comparably influential for Configuration B. The thresholds are conditional criteria, not city-specific predictions.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -