Bids from at least six companies are also under evaluation for the EPC contract to build a 25,000-cm/d STP on the Burj Dubai development. The project will also use MBR technology. Local developer Emaar Propertiesis the client.

Dubai Municipality (DM) is also evaluating bids from three companies for the contract to increase capacity at Al-Aweer STP by 50,000 cm/d. Turkey's Artima Treatment Systemswas the low bidder at about $27 million. Total project costs had been estimated at about $50 million. Sources close to the project suggest a retender may be in the offing. The other bidders were Germany's Invent Umweltand Eagle Electromechanical.

Al-Aweer was last expanded in 1998 to a capacity of 260,000 cm/d. The consultant is the UK's Montgomery Watson, part of US-based MWH(MEED 23:9:05).

Local real estate developer Nakheelhas extended the bid deadline to 10 October for the EPC contract to build an STP to serve its International City development. The scheme covers construction of a 32,000-cm/d STP. The 12-month contract, which includes a 10-year management clause, also has an option to expand the plant to 48,000 cm/d. Montgomery Watson is the consultant.

With the announcement of a host of new real estate and tourism projects, the need to expand the emirate's sewage treatment capacity has grown rapidly. DM is not expected to complete the first phase of its proposed 1 million-cm/d STP in Jebel Ali until 2009. As a result, developers have opted to build grassroots plants to meet the projected surge in demand.