Bids to supply components for the $300 million Yesilcay water supply project for Istanbul will be invited from September onwards, according to officials of the client, State Hydraulic Works (DSI). The project is one of two planned by the DSI to relieve the city's chronic water shortages.

Applications were due to be invited from 1 September with a closing date of 27 September for the construction of regulators on the two rivers which combine to form the Yesilcay river (MEED 7:10:94). An invitation is expected in November for a contract valued at about $100 million for the supply of pipes for a 60-kilometre transmission line. In December, the DSI will invite bids for a contract valued at about $50 million to build a water treatment works with a capacity of 500,000 cubic metres a day, said the officials.

The consultant to the DSI for the Yesilcay project is a consortium led by the UK's Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development will finance around 60 per cent of the project cost.

The DSI is also doing a technical evaluation of bids from four groups for the design of the $1,400 million Greater Melen river scheme to supply Istanbul (MEED 7:4:95). It expects to call one group for negotiations in October.