OT_216: Gisborne DC / AquaLinc (2016), earth irrigation dam $2-3/m³ of storage

Source

Context: ni · Feeds D03 + D02 (irrigation dam CapEx)

Summary

A disclosed NZ cost for building an earth embankment irrigation dam, expressed per cubic metre of storage, which the model needs to size the irrigation dam that makes food-growing self-sufficient. It is the earth-dam counterpart to the lined-pond figure in OT_217, and it shows the model’s assumed $5/m³ is high for an unlined earth dam.

Key claims

- claim: "EARTH IRRIGATION DAM COST. An earth embankment dam costs between $2 and $3 per m³ of storage to construct, depending on size, site difficulty and whether it must be lined (lower end unlined, upper end lined). On top of construction: engineering and design ~10% of construction, consenting ~5%, annual O&M ~4.5% of capital (2.5% repairs + 2% operation); land purchase separate (~$15,000/ha). [verified against the raw: 'between $2 and $3' confirmed]"
  source_location: "Gisborne DC / AquaLinc (2016), quoting AquaLinc's estimate; cost split in Table 3."

Model use

  • The earth-dam value for irrigation_dam_capex_nzd_per_m3 in D03: **~2.5/m³** construction (~2.9/m³ all-in with the +15% design and consenting). The model’s assumed $5/m³ describes a lined pond, not an earth dam, so the two should be split. OT_216

Notes

  • Caveat. The rate comes from a large scheme dam (9.2 M m³); add a small-scale premium for a community-scale (5,000-50,000 m³) store.
  • Provenance. Gisborne DC report (AquaLinc), authoritative; retrieved from a Wayback Machine snapshot. Figure verified against the raw.

Connections

Links to

Referenced by

EDT domains (1): D03: Water, Waste & Circular Systems

Sources (1): OT_217