National Water Co. launches privatization plan of sewage plants

National Water Company (NWC) has launched the privatization program for 114 sewage treatment plants with a total daily capacity of 5.1 million cubic meters per day (cu m/day).

The move is in line with the implementation of the National Water Strategy 2030 objectives of increasing water investments and involving the private sector in several projects, the company said in a statement.

In the first phase, NWC plans to procure contracts for 15 sewage treatment plants with a total daily capacity of 2.5 million cu m/day, equivalent to 50% of the total treatment capacity in the Kingdom. The company has issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) for five long-term operation and maintenance contracts.

The contracts provide for four plants in Manfuhah, Riyadh, with a total capacity of 900,000 cu m/day; two plants in Hada and Aranah, Makkah region, with a treatment capacity of 500,000 cu m/day; Airport phase-one and Al-Khumrah plants in Jeddah Governorate with a treatment capacity of 830,000 cu m/day; two plants in Wadi Al-Arj, Taif Governorate, with a treatment capacity of 167,000 cu m/day; and plants in Arar, Turaif and Sakaka, Northern Borders and Al-Jouf Regions, with a treatment capacity of 108,000 cu m/day.

NWC will issue the request for proposals (RFP) for the first contract in the third quarter of 2020 while the other four contracts will be procured subsequently.

The scope of work of the five contracts will also cover rehabilitation, operational improvements and capacity increases for these sewage treatment plants.

Additionally, the contracts will focus on the development of sludge treatment, as well as producing high quality treated sewage effluent (TSE) compliant with environmental regulations.

The long-term private local and global partnerships will span for up to 25 years, the statement noted.