It’s impossible to quote an average price for an “average” brine pond because so many factors must be considered. If you’re in the beginning stage of considering the construction of brine ponds, you’ll want to start by gathering several kinds of data:
- The type (chemical composition) of the brine you’ll be handling, along with an understanding of its hazard level.
- Local, state, or federal requirements for managing that class of brine.
- How much brine you’ll be working with and for how long
- Evaporation rates for your local area
Using brine volume and evaporation rates, you can calculate what volume of storage you’ll need and how many individual ponds you’ll need. Once you have that, you can work on estimates for the next stage:
- The cost of the land and necessary permitting
- The number and size of the ponds you’ll be using.
- The cost of excavation and earthworks
- The cost of liner and other materials such as piping, leak detection systems, monitoring systems, secondary water control systems, harvesting equipment, and possibly membranes or other equipment intended to speed up the evaporation rate.
Once you have your data gathered, you can start working with contractors and suppliers to get specific cost estimates for your area, your timeline, and your specific site needs. When it comes to your liner, we recommend that you give BTL Liners a call. They can help you choose the specific liner that will meet your needs and your budget and create a comprehensive estimate for that part of the project.
A final note: when you’re working up your initial budget, be sure not to skimp on safety measures. Even if a leak detection system is not specified in permitting, one should be included. Use quality liner materials and set up secondary containment protocols as well. Even if operations are perfect and none of your precautions are never actually used, the cost of including them is far less than any potential costs arising from a catastrophic spill.
