Ol-Pejeta Conservancy Water masterplan

Ol-Pejeta Conservancy needed a long-term plan to improve water security for staff housing, tourism facilities, livestock, and wildlife under increasing climate variability and growing competing demands. The goal was to develop a practical 20-year masterplan that prioritized interventions that are cost-effective and environmentally responsible.

Outcomes

• Priority upgrades to improve reliability from critical supply sources during dry periods.

• Quantified supply–demand gaps under “normal” and “dry” and “exceptional” scenarios.

• A 20-year water masterplan with phased investments (short/medium/long term) to progressively future-proof water security in the conservancy

• Maps and recommendations supporting implementation and budgeting decisions.

What we did

• Assessed existing water sources, abstraction points, storage, treatment, and distribution network.

• Evaluated current water use, losses, and opportunities for demand management.

• Analyzed river flow availability for surface abstraction and dry-season constraints on the Ewaso Nyiro river

• Reviewed wastewater handling and reuse options to reduce pressure on freshwater sources.

• Designed upgrades to existing water distribution network to limit disruptions

• Built a planning framework to prioritize interventions by impact, feasibility, and risk.

About the Client

Ol-Pejeta Conservancy is a wildlife conservation organization based in Kenya. The conservancy sits on 360 square kilometres of land primarily for wildife conservation but also includes secluded areas as sanctuaries for critically endangered wildlife species.The conservancy generates income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and local neighbouring communities. The conservancy is home to the last surviving species of the northern white rhino in the world.