Monthly chemical spend can tell the wrong story
A water-treatment plant may spend more on chemicals this month simply because it treated more water. Looking only at the invoice total can make normal production growth appear to be a cost-control problem.
Cost per cubic metre puts chemical spend against the volume of water actually treated.
Separate price from consumption
If cost per cubic metre rises, the plant can ask whether supplier prices increased, chemical dose increased, or both. That distinction is important because the solutions are different.
Procurement can negotiate price, while operations may need to investigate water quality, dosing or treatment performance.
Track individual chemicals where useful
Coagulant, flocculant, disinfectant, pH adjustment and other treatment chemicals can be tracked separately. This makes it easier to identify which part of the programme is changing.
A total chemical-cost figure can then show the combined treatment impact.
Seasonal raw-water changes become visible
During periods of higher turbidity or changing organic load, chemical dose may legitimately rise. Comparing cost per cubic metre with raw-water quality helps explain the movement. For the wider context, our guide on chemical Quality Assurance: Specifications, COAs and Incoming Inspection brings the main procurement considerations together in one place.
This is more useful than expecting identical consumption every month.
Use active concentration when products change
If a supplier changes concentration, litres consumed may move even when the active chemical dose remains similar. Procurement should normalise the commercial comparison so the performance metric remains meaningful.
Otherwise a weaker solution can make consumption appear worse without revealing why.
Include treatment performance
The lowest chemical cost per cubic metre is not automatically the best result if treated-water quality deteriorates. Cost should be reviewed alongside the plant’s required quality and operational indicators.
The goal is reliable treatment at efficient cost.
A simple metric improves supplier conversations
When a supplier proposes a new chemical, procurement can ask how the expected dose affects cost per cubic metre rather than focusing on drum price.
This creates a common language between commercial and technical teams and makes treatment optimisation easier to measure.
Discuss Your Requirement With Aviv Kitov Group
Aviv Kitov Group supports industrial organisations in Ghana with specialised chemical sourcing across regional and international markets. A useful sourcing discussion starts with the actual process requirement, including the approved specification or grade, quantity, packaging, delivery location and required date. A useful next step is our guide on how to Build an Industrial Chemical Purchasing Specification, which looks at the related practical considerations in more detail.
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