Cost-benefit analysis of the Mandatory Standard for wastewater discharge to water bodies

Effluent limits for water discharges onto national water bodies are established in 41 separate Mandatory Standards (NOM), depending on population size or industrial activity The Mexican National Water Commission has proposed a single NOM to establish discharge water quality as function of the use and type of receiving body. To determine the feasibility of the proposal, a cost-benefit analysis is needed. This paper presents the main results of the cost/benefit analysis regarding the NOM expressed as monetary values in order to obtain an objective evaluation of a mandatory and country wide regulation that eliminates the uncertainty of its effectiveness. The results of the analysis show that the B/C relation is greater than 1.0. Hence, the NOM is economically feasible.