Five consortia out of nine applicants have been short-listed to bid for consultancy services for the $1,400 million Greater Melen river water supply scheme for Istanbul, according to industry sources. The client State Hydraulic Works (DSI) has submitted the list for approval by Japan's Overseas Economic Co-operation Fund (OECF), which is financing the scheme.

The five consortia of foreign with local firms include:

Japan's Nippon Koei with the UK's Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners and Mott MacDonald, and Setan, Su Yapi, Dapta, Temelsu and Sial.

The UK's Acer Consult with Binnie & Partners and Haswell Consultants, Japan's Sanyu, Danish Power, and Acer Muhendislik, Seyas, Ensu and Tekar.

The US' Bechtel with Greeley & Hansen and Harza Engineering, with Enet, Japon Muhendislik and Tahal Muhendislik.

Japan's EPDC with the UK's Paterson Candy International and Halcrow, and Su Is, Dolsar Muhendislik and TMB.

The project will be largely financed by credit valued at a total of about $1,050 million from the OECF, the first $495 million tranche of which was signed in November 1993. It includes a weir on the Melen River, a 150-kilometre transmission pipeline, pumping stations, a water treatment plant, and a sea-bed crossing of the Bosporus.

The DSI also recently awarded a contract valued at about $10 million to a consortium led by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners for the $150 million Yesilcay water supply project for Istanbul. Finance will include an $80 million loan from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.

The Gibb contract will last about six years, and will be phased in with eight construction packages. These are for regulators on two rivers; two similar contracts for the construction of pumping stations and half of the 60-kilometre transmission pipeline; a water treatment plant with a daily throughput of 500,000 cubic metres; a supervisory control and data acquisition electronic remote control system; and two separate contracts for the manufacture of steel and concrete pipes respectively. Bids for the first package, probably for the regulators, may be invited early next summer.

The combined daily output of about 1.2 million cubic metres from the two projects will go a long way towards meeting daily demand in the city of about 1.4 million-1.8 million cubic metres.

However, neither project is likely to be completed before the end of the century, and until then the city will have to survive on its present meagre resources. Many areas of the city regularly have their water supplies cut for days on end, even during the present months of winter rainfall. Several emergency schemes are being canvassed by the city's municipality, including the diversion and trapping of waters from rivers in the Istranca mountains on the border with Bulgaria.