7/6/2018 Practice Manual For Small Dams, Pans and Other Water Conservation Structures in Kenya

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11 Feasibility Study
A feasibility study for small scale storage looks at most of the same issues that the full design addresses.
The main difference between the feasibility and design reports are that the feasibility report looks at a
broader selection of options and does not address the same level of detail that the design report covers
once a recommended option has been agreed upon.

In general, the field work required for a feasibility report is the same fieldwork required for a full design.
This includes a complete survey of the site as well as visits throughout the catchment and downstream
areas.

The following sections describe the steps that should be taken when conducting a feasibility study for a
proposed site. They are laid out to match as closely as possible the feasibility study reporting format set
out in Chapter 19.

11.1 Executive Summary

This should be a brief (one page is normally sufficient) description of the project. It must state the
background and purpose of the project. It should summarize the expected costs, the beneficiaries and the
technical details of the project. It should present any viable alternatives and lay out the way forward.

11.2 Background and Purpose of the Proposed Storage

Structure
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The proposed project should be fully described in the report.

11.2.1 Stakeholders
An assessment should be made of the project stakeholders and contact details of relevant people
(owners, managers, caretakers, local WRUA, etc) should be obtained.

11.2.2 Purpose of the Project

The feasibility report should clearly state the purpose of the project (e.g. to store 20,000 cubic meters of
water in a pan to increase the time when grazing can occur in the sub-location). The purpose must be
attainable by the proposed project.

11.2.3 Location
The location of the proposed project should be correctly identified and detailed. This includes land
registration details where available, ownership details, GPS coordinates and datum. This information will
be used to develop the relevant layout maps. Ideally, at least two maps should be produced. One should
show the proposed storage location and the extents of the catchment area and the other should show the
site layout that shows possible dam alignments and flooded areas.

Details of the county, sub-county, location and sub location should be captured, as well as a summary of
how to access the site. This information will be included in the feasibility report.

11.2.4 Details of Site Visits

The report should show the time frame for site visits, identify who went to site and identify who was
contacted in the project location.

11.3 Analysis of Alternative Options to Meet Project

Objectives
This should briefly touch on what other alternatives exist that might also meet the project objectives. It
does not have to examine the alternatives in detail but it must give sufficient details to explain why they
are not being considered as a way forward.

11.4 Analysis of Water Demand

The study should look at the expected water requirements. Expected water use figures for a variety of
design options can be found in Section 3.3 of this document.

For specialized water use or requirements, the details should be clearly captured and documented in the
feasibility report.

11.4.1 Offtakes and Other Structures

This will involve the identification of possible sites for offtakes, community water points, cattle troughs,
pump houses, fencing and other associated structures. These points can be mapped out and detailed on
the layout map submitted in the feasibility report.

This section is mainly to help finalize cost estimates. Final details and drawings for offtakes and structures
will be concluded in the design process.

11.5 Site Investigations

Details should be given on the site topography and on the soils and geotechnical information. If additional
information is required for the design it should be identified here.
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11.5.1 Impoundment Area Details

A full survey of the impoundment area will be required. This will also include identification and marking
out of the possible locations of dam components (spillway, embankment, etc…). A contour map of
suitable scale should be produced. Various dam alignments and heights can then be considered to
produce a selection of possible storage options.

Survey data and contour maps for each option should be included in the report. Section 9.1 provides
details on the intensity of survey points and survey beacons.

If relevant, the site maximum site storage should also be presented.

11.5.2 Results of Geotechnical Investigations

The results of any geotechnical investigations should be presented. At a minimum these should include
test pit details and borrow material details, plus the laboratory analysis of the soils sampled from the test
pits.

This section should also identify any further investigations that may be needed as part of the final design.

11.5.3 Recommended Storage Structure

Details of the recommended storage structure should be given along with justifications for choices.

11.6 Environmental and Social Considerations

Any emerging environmental considerations should be identified and examined during this phase.
Essentially, the feasibility study provides an opportunity to scope out the work involved in conducting the
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, as described in Chapter 6.

In arid areas, special attention should be paid to grazing concerns and the potential for human/wildlife
conflict.

In more built up areas, the risk of failure of the embankment on downstream settlements and/or
developments should be examined.

Any resettlement or other legal issues that may arise as a result of the project should be identified at this
point.

11.7 Hydrological Analysis

The full hydrological analysis for the project should be carried out during the feasibility stage. Refer to
Chapter 8 for details.

11.7.1 Inflow Estimation

Chapter Overview
Catchment details should be determined. They should include catchment area, soil types, vegetative
© 2015 Ministry of Water and Irrigation
cover and catchment condition. Catchment elevations and flow path elevation and length details should
be determined.

Inflows for the dam should be estimated. This can be done based on general annual rainfall averages, on
monthly or daily stream flow or on monthly or daily rainfall data. See Section 8.8 for further details.

All data (and their sources) should be recorded in the report.

11.7.2 Reservoir Simulation or Modelling

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Reservoir simulation can be carried out based on the storage options, the expected water use, the
estimated inflow estimations, as well as the evaporation and seepage estimates. This is discussed in
Chapter 8 and can be done graphically, via spreadsheet calculations or via commercial software.

The result of the reservoir simulation is to examine a selection of storage options to determine which
option best fits the inflows and water use.

11.7.3 Estimated Spillway Sizes and Inflow Design Flood

In order to produce a cost estimate as part of the feasibility study, a spillway design must be carried out.
At this stage, it is sufficient to base the spillway design on an estimated flood based solely on the
catchment area. Table 8-6 provides general guidelines for design flood estimation based on catchment
area.

Once a design flood has been estimated, initial estimates of spillway details (width, depth, alignment, etc)
can be calculated and presented in the report. Table 11-1 gives preliminary estimates for required spillway
widths for a variety of design floods and approach heights. The widths have been calculated based on the
broad crested weir formula.

Table 11-1: Spillway Widths for Various Design Floods and Approach Heights

Required Width
Required Width for 1m Required Width Required Width
Design for 0.5m Approach for 1.5m for 2.0m
Flood Approach Depth Depth Approach Depth Approach Depth
(m 3 ) (m) (m) (m) (m)

5 9 N/A N/A N/A

10 17 N/A N/A N/A

15 25 9 N/A N/A

20 34 12 N/A N/A

25 42 15 N/A N/A

30 50 18 10 N/A

40 67 24 13 N/A

50 84 30 16 11

75 126 44 24 16

100 N/A 59 32 21

150 N/A 89 48 32

200 N/A 119 64 42

250 N/A 147 80 52

300 N/A 177 96 63

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11.7.4 Sediment Inflow

Sediment inflow should be estimated as laid out in Section 8.13. Sediment inflow will affect the life span of
the dam. The NWMP 2030 suggests the following design criteria for water supply infrastructure:

Rural = 20 yrs
Urban = 50 yrs

11.8 Identification of Design Issues

Identification of design issues that will be addressed during the full design should be mentioned in the
feasibility report. In general, they will involve revising spillway dimensions, finalizing offtake arrangements,
determining details on ancillary structures, and additional modelling that might be necessary for larger
projects, etc.

11.9 Construction Plan

A project construction plan should be developed. It should present tentative time frames for design work,
any necessary social interventions, NEMA and WRMA approvals, actual construction period and a
tentative date for completion of works.

A critical path analysis can be included to emphasize the key steps that must be achieved.

11.10 Cost Estimate

The feasibility study must present a cost estimate for the project. The cost estimated should be based on
expected construction costs and calculated from a preliminary bill of quantities for the project.

In general, in 2014, construction costs of small scale water storage in Kenya ranged from Ksh. 50 per
cubic meter to over Ksh. 500 per cubic meter of water stored. The lowest costs are usually seen in large
reservoirs (500,000 to 1,000,000 m3 of storage) while the highest costs are usually seen in smaller
reservoirs. (5,000 to 20,000 m3 of storage). These figures are based on construction experience in
Kenya over the last 10 years and compare well with the NWMP 2030 estimate of Ksh. 333 per cubic
meter for small dams.

11.11 Economic and Financial Considerations

The feasibility study should look at the expected cost of the project and compare it to alternative options
and average costs in Kenya. A cost per beneficiary can be established and compared against the
alternative options. Cost per beneficiary for a variety of alternative options can be established from the
Project Unit Costing, WSTF, and (June 2011) or from the NWMP, 2030. A cost/benefit analysis should be
conducted even if the scale of the project and the detail at this stage does not warrant a detailed analysis.
However the total project cost, covering design, construction, supervision, and all environmental and
social mitigation measures can be estimated. This may not reflect the true cost of all the impacts but
assumptions regarding the estimation process can be described.

The benefits of the project should be described and estimated and compared to the costs. The intention is
to avoid making investments in projects that cannot be justified due to the cost. The willingness and ability
of project beneficiaries to pay (or assist in paying) for the proposed project should be stated.

11.12 Project Financing

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The feasibility report should identify possible financing sources and raise any financial issues that may
affect the project.

11.13 Analysis of Risks and Proposed Mitigation Measures

Results of any risk analysis work should be included. If mitigation measures have been identified, then
details should be provided. If no mitigation measures have been finalized, then the report should describe
in detail what work still needs to be carried out to ensure that the project can move forward.

11.14 Conclusions
The conclusions should address:

Legal, Social and Environmental feasibility;

Technical feasibility;
Financial details/feasibility;
Economic Feasibility.

They should be clearly stated in the executive summary.

11.15 Recommendations
The recommendations should summarize:

Measures required to enable the project to meet its objectives;

Way forward.

They should be clearly stated in the executive summary.

11.16 Annexes to the Feasibility Report

There is often a long period between the initial feasibility report and the implementation of the project.
Social, environmental and legal issues must be dealt with, financing must be secured, and other
government approvals must be obtained. In order to keep continuity between the feasibility work and any
future design work, it is strongly recommended that the feasibility report has annexes with site photos and
all relevant maps. These can be extremely important for refreshing memories and for introducing new
team members to the project.

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