Greenhouse, Indoor Farming & Agri-Processing calculator
Water use per crop calculator
Estimate total water cost per crop cycle by multiplying total gallons (irrigation + sanitation + cleaning) by the blended water-and-sewer rate, then adding fixed RO membrane, UV lamp, and water-treatment labor costs. Use the result to plug a real water line into cost-of-goods and to evaluate recirculating or rainwater-capture investments.
What this calculator does
- Estimate total water cost per crop cycle for a greenhouse or indoor farm from gallons used, $/gal water-and-sewer rate, plus fixed RO/UV treatment and labor costs so growers can quote water as a real cost-of-goods line.
- Use it when costing a leafy green or tomato crop, comparing drain-to-waste against recirculating systems, or evaluating an RO or rainwater capture project against current water bills.
- Turns total water used per crop cycle, blended water and sewer rate, fixed ro, uv, and treatment cost per cycle into a total cost for water use per crop in greenhouse, indoor farming and agri-processing.
Formula used
- Total water cost per crop cycle = total water used × blended water and sewer rate + fixed RO, UV, and treatment cost + water-system labor
- Water cost per gallon delivered = total water cost per crop cycle ÷ total water used per crop cycle
Inputs explained
- Total water used per crop cycle: Sum irrigation, fertigation make-up, sanitation, and washdown gallons over the crop cycle from the flow meter.
- Blended water and sewer rate: Divide total water + sewer charges from the utility bill by total gallons billed; usually $0.005-$0.025 per gallon.
- Fixed RO, UV, and treatment cost per cycle: Amortize RO membrane, UV lamp, softener salt, and chemistry across the crop cycle.
- Water-system labor per cycle: Add labor for tank cleaning, sanitation, RO flushes, EC/pH calibration, and runoff handling.
How to use the result
- Use it when water use per crop in greenhouse, indoor farming and agri-processing needs a fast quote build-up.
- Tariffs, freight, and packaging are not modeled. Add them as a fixed adder if they apply.
Common questions
- What problem does this water use per crop calculator solve? Estimate total water cost per crop cycle for a greenhouse or indoor farm from gallons used, $/gal water-and-sewer rate, plus fixed RO/UV treatment and labor costs so growers can quote water as a real cost-of-goods line. You get a total cost you can defend before quoting, scheduling, or sign-off.
- Which inputs change the total cost the most? total water used per crop cycle, blended water and sewer rate, fixed ro, uv, and treatment cost per cycle usually move the total cost most. Pull from measured greenhouse, indoor farming and agri-processing runs, supplier data, and recent quotes rather than memory.
- How should I use the result? Use the cost per piece as the floor of the quote, then layer in margin for greenhouse, indoor farming and agri-processing risk.
- What can throw the result off? Confirm scrap and yield are reflected in variable cost; missing scrap is the usual reason a quote bleeds.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.