Contractors have been invited to submit bids for the contract to build a tunnel a transfer lines for the Greater Beirut Water Supply Project in Lebanon.

Companies have until 3 December to submit bids for the tender. The client for the project is the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), which is working together with Lebanon’s Energy and Water Ministry. The client has received a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) to cover the project.

The estimated $200m Greater Beirut Water Supply Project is designed to strengthen the capacity of the Beirut Mount Lebanon Water Establishment, the utility responsible for the operation and efficiency of the urban water supply in the area. The project is planned to improve water supply for more than 2 million people in Southern Beirut.

Lebanon’s government has been planning ways to improve the water supply in Greater Beirut since the early 1960s. The project will involve increasing the supply of drinkable water and improve the pipes running into buildings in Beirut. The proposed GWSP will involve building two water tunnels, three big storage reservoirs, 16 supply reservoirs, a water treatment plan and new smaller pipelines, pumping stations and household metres.