Water and wastewater · Worked step by step
How many GPM is 1.44 MGD?
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The problem
A plant treats 1.44 MGD (million gallons a day). What is that flow in gallons per minute (GPM)?
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The written version, step by step
- 1
Change MGD into gallons per day
1.44 MGD = 1,440,000 GPD
- MGD means MILLION gallons a day, so 1 MGD is 1,000,000 gallons a day.
- 1.44 MGD is 1.44 million, which is 1,440,000 gallons a day.
- All we did was write the million out in full.
Quick trick: To turn MGD into GPD, slide the decimal 6 places to the right (that is × 1,000,000).
- 2
Divide by the minutes in a day
GPM = 1,440,000 ÷ 1,440 • GPM = 1,000
- A day has 1,440 minutes, and we want gallons for just one minute.
- So we split the day's gallons across its 1,440 minutes: divide.
- 1,440,000 ÷ 1,440 = 1,000. So the flow is 1,000 GPM.
Quick trick: Cross off the matching zeros: 1,440,000 ÷ 1,440 leaves 1,000 ÷ 1 = 1,000.
Remember this for good
MGD to GPM: first turn MGD into gallons per day (× 1,000,000), then divide by 1,440 minutes in a day.
MGD is just a short way to write a big number. The M stands for million, so 1.44 MGD is 1,440,000 gallons a day. Then split that across the day's 1,440 minutes.
Solve it fast next time
- Two steps: MGD × 1,000,000 gives gallons per day, then ÷ 1,440 gives GPM.
- Shortcut: MGD × about 694 gives GPM (because 1,000,000 ÷ 1,440 is about 694).
- GPM back to MGD? Do the reverse: × 1,440, then ÷ 1,000,000.
The answer: 1,000 GPM.