Suez and Veolia will build a 500,000m³ wastewater treatment plant

A renderin of the proposed plant (image courtesy of Veolia)

A renderin of the proposed plant (image courtesy of Veolia)

The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, the authority in charge of drinking water and wastewater management for the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, has chosen Veolia, together with Suez, for the design, build and operate contract for the Gandharbpur drinking water treatment plant. This contract, awarded following an international call for tenders, represents a cumulative total of around €275 million. The project will be conducted through a joint venture held equally by Veolia, through its fully owned subsidiary Veolia Water Technologies, and Suez, the consortium leader.
The contract won by Veolia and Suez covers the design, build and operation of a new drinking water treatment plant using a water intake 22 km upstream on the Meghna River. Located in Dhaka’s Gandharbpur district, this plant with a daily production capacity of 500,000 m³ will supply approximately 4.3 million of the capital’s residents with drinking water compliant with the World Health Organization’s international standards.
The unique feature of this project is the construction of a major facility in a region subject to flooding and earthquakes. The entire facility has therefore been designed in particular to withstand the risks related to the region’s frequent earthquakes.
The design and complete construction of the facility – scheduled to take four years – will be followed by a three-year operation and maintenance phase. The two partners will ensure the gradual transfer of expertise to WASA employees. The plant will be funded by the Asian Development Bank, the AFD (French Development Agency), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Bangladeshi government.