Borehole drilling in Eastern Somalia Project Objectives.
• Provide sustainable access to water for most vulnerable drought affected/displaced communities including IDPsto prevent loss of lives and drought induced displacement
Target: The project will aim to support at least 5000 people and over 10,000 livestock heads in Laac Dheer village, of Sanaag region.
Groundwater Feasibility Survey:
Once the sites are confirmed, Candlelight will engage a hydrogeological consultant through competitive bidding to carry out survey on groundwater potential and select suitable sites for drilling.
The survey will follow three approach methods,
1. Remote Sensing: Desk review using latest satellite imageries to selected best possible locations. This phase will focus on finding regional fractures carrying water from highland of Ethiopia to the lowland of Sanaag regions and from Sanaag mountains to low land areas.
2. Geophysical Study: ground truthing work will be conducting using latest state of art geophysical technology at least three locations with spacing of 1000 -1500m. These locations arethe ones that are selected in first phase of the study work. Government and community engagement will be conducted to understand the local geology, possible impact of drilling on environment and stability of thecommunities.
Drilling of the borehole – Tendering, Site selection and Risk management
Through a competitive process, Candlelight will contract a reputable and experienced borehole drilling company to undertake the task. Prior to releasing the tender, Candlelight will organize meeting, in which the tender details and expectations will be reviewed. Oxfam technical staff will be invited to support this entire process and ensue that a reputable company is hired on proper terms and conditions.

The selection of the siting procedure shall be based on a conceptual model of groundwater conditions in the project area developed from the study; key issues of consideration may include the terrain, aquifer types, groundwater chemistry, and recharge potential amongothers.
To avoid risks that could arise from improper use of drilling equipment andselection of drilling method, the contractor will receive a full copy of the study report and will be given a briefing on the drilling technology and technique recommended by the study team. Once that is in order, a payment by result approach will be used to contract drilling companies i.e., Oxfam/ Candlelight will only pay if the borehole has water with discharge of above 2 liters per second. Failure to get a contractorwilling to commence drilling with such conduction, further meeting will be held between Oxfam and Candlelight to discuss the best possible approach to increase value for money.
Supervision and Monitoring:
Proper supervision of boreholedrilling ensuresthat the boreholes are drilled as specified, safety of the public and drilling personnel are guarded and all the data collected during drilling are accurately recorded and reported.
The project will be closely supervised by the project team led bythe Hydrogeologist/Water engineer, with close technical backstopping from Oxfam Technical staff. Monitoring will be guided by the BoQs and the Logframe indicators.
Given the nature of the works, supervision and monitoring of every step is critical. Candlelight will hire a resident site supervisor who will monitor the project on a daily basis. The supervisor will be provided with the necessaryequipment and materials such as TDS Sensor to record water quality at every meter. A mud funnel will also record the drilling mud viscosity and depth to follow the depth of the drilling. The supervisor will provide daily update to both Candlelight and Oxfam teamsand will ensure all decisions that may affect drilling performance are consulted on and jointly agreed upon.TDS level will be recorded in monitoring tool provided and the result will be used for deciding the borehole casing arrangement. All materials that will beused for drilling will be inspected by the drilling supervisor and approved.
In case a specialized chemical will be used for the drilling; the supervisor will request for all safety related certificate prior use of such chemicals to prevent hazardous pollution tothe environment. Oxfam with ministry of water development will deploy a supervisor to workwith Candlelight; providing technical assistance and supervision of drilling progress. The supervisor shall possess sufficient experience, knowledge, and expertise to carry out the assigned tasks.
Post Drilling Construction:
This action will be decidedupon right after the drilling is completed. Provisionof submersible pump with cable and riser pipes, and construction of generator house, water distribution system for both animal and human and storage facilities will be included under this phase. Othergrants, including Oxfam internal grants will be used to financethis critical activity. In case the borehole salinity is above an acceptable regional level i.e., 2500ppm, provision of desalination unit will be considered.
Collaboration with other stakeholders including Government/ Line Ministry and other agencies:
Borehole drilling projects require the collaboration of many different stakeholders. Clarifying the respective responsibilities for everyone involved and making adjustments where necessary will be an essential part of the planning process and will improve the chance of the successful completion of the project. Candlelight will closely consult and work with different stakeholders including the government structures at national and or regional levels. Specifically, Candlelight will engage with the Ministry of Water Development (MoWD). Government water expertise will be involved in providing technical advices/support and participating in monitoring the project. The community, represented by the water users committee (in case it exists), shall be involved in the different stages of project execution.