Thika Dam

The Thika dam is a 63 m high, 458 m crest length earthfill dam on the Thika River near Ndakaini, 50 km north of Nairobi, Kenya. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 70 million cubic meters and serves for drinking water supply. Water is treated at the Ngethu treatment works. The dam has increased the reliability of water supply to Nairobi, which suffered water shortages during the dry season before construction of the dam was completed in 1994. The dam has been financed by the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the Kenyan government.[1] Its construction had been delayed because of difficulties in land acquisition, leading to cost overruns.[3] During construction the dam design has been modified to allow it to withstand a 1:10,000-year flood and to improve dam safety.[4]

Thika Dam
Location of Thika Dam in Kenya
Country	Kenya
Coordinates	0°49′13″S 36°51′01″E
Status	Operational
Construction began	1989[1]
Opening date	1994[2]
Construction cost	20m Kenyan Shillings[1]
Owner(s)	Athi Water Services Board
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, earth-fill
Height	63 m (207 ft)[2]
Length	458 m (1,503 ft)[2]
Dam volume	2,340,000 m3[2]
Spillway capacity	390 m3/s[2]
Reservoir
Total capacity	70,000,000 m3 (56,750 acre⋅ft)[2]
Inactive capacity	1,000,000 m3 (811 acre⋅ft)[2]
Catchment area	75 km2[1]
Surface area	280 ha[2]