A venture of France's Lyonnalse des Eaux and the local BTP Enka is negotiating for a 10-year operation and maintenance (O&M) contract for a water and sewerage programme in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya. The venture was among three returning bids to the client, Antalya Water & Sewerage Authority (ASAT), in early August (MEED 19:7:96; 31:5:96).

The contract will be the first to be awarded directly in Turkey for running a water distribution and punfication process, although work has also started on the $750 million Izmit water supply project on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis by a venture led by the UK's Thames Water International.

The ASAT programme will meet the water supply and sewerage needs of a rapidly expanding, resident population expected to reach 960,000 by 2005 from the present 535,000, not taking into account substantial seasonal increases from tourism traffic. The programme is being funded by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.

ASAT recently selected a venture of the UK's Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners together with the local Su Yapi for a contract to provide consultancy services on the programme.

The consultancy contract will include detailed design and construction supervision for water supply, sewerage and stormwater drainage works, a hydrological survey development of groundwater resources, site survey and investigations towards mapping of water supply systems, and the preparation of a comprehensive stormwater drainage masterplan.