Feasibility studies Reports are completed during the design process of a project to help determine the best solution to meet the design criteria.  A feasibility study is an analysis of the viability of a project by evaluating several design options based on criteria related to the project budget, regulatory compliance and environmental impacts.  The analysis aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each design alternative and to arrive at the most feasible design option.

Feasibility Assessment

1. Purpose and Scope

The feasibility study report will first state the purpose and scope of the project. The purpose of the feasibility study is a description of the treatment plant upgrade, specific regulatory requirements, and the current status that will be resolved by implementing the design. Additionally, it will describe the reason for implementation, the design time frame, and the community it will affect.

2. Regulatory Requirements

Regulatory requirements are stated as part of the scope of the project because they are astringent criteria that must be met when implementing the design.  Regulations are crucial in the analysis of design alternatives; since the project is not feasible, if it does not meet regulations.  The design alternatives are crafted with careful attention to the regulations, to ensure they are met by the implementation.

3. Background

The background section provides information about the current status of the site.  The site status description includes previous uses for the property and environmentally sensitive areas.  The soil types surrounding the property will be surveyed and thoroughly described.  A site map with the current building layout and existing treatment components will be provided. A summary of the current system configuration will include details of the existing treatment processes and problems that need correction.

4. Design Criteria

The design criteria will recapitulate the regulatory and project requirements into specific metrics that outline the conditions of the design.  These design metrics will be used to evaluate each design Criteria.

This section will discuss the long-term plan for the treatment plant and describe the expected sizing and location of the system. Additionally, this section will state the required values for effluent discharge concentrations, maximum and average daily flows, and maximum loading of the system.

5. Design Alternatives

Selected design alternatives are proposed to meet the design criteria.  Each design alternative will be described with diagrams and design calculations that show how the treatment technology will meet the criteria.  An estimated budget is also included with each design alternative to compare costs. The alternatives will then be evaluated based on the design metrics to identify the strengths and weaknesses. The design alternatives will be compared by cost, treatment efficiency, regulatory requirements, the ability for future expansion, and other project-specific metrics.  The alternatives may include a discussion of no-action response and how that will affect the current status of the site.

6. Recommendations and Conclusions

Finally, the feasibility study reports will recommend a specific design alternative and discuss details of implementation, budgeting, project management, and timeline.

Potential project funding sources are researched for the chosen design alternative, which may include municipal loans, bonds, and grants.  The cost of the alternative will be outlined including the cost of materials, construction, design, administration, and a contingency cost.  Revenue related to the service of municipal water and wastewater treatment plants will be detailed to show how fees charged for service will off-set the cost of implementation.

7. Pilot Test Proposal

Lastly, the feasibility report may propose a pilot study to further evaluate costs, treatment efficiency, and sizing of the treatment plant.  The cost of the pilot study will be included in the total cost estimate. Overall the feasibility study report affirms a specific design alternative after contrasting several potential design options to assure Chokhavatia Associates implements the most appropriate design for the project.