A joint venture of the UK's Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners and the local Su Yapi has been awarded the contract to provide consultancy services for a major water supply and sewage disposal programme in the southern Mediterranean resort of Antalya.

The client for the World Bank-funded programme is the Antalya Water & Sewerage Authority (ASAT).

The UK-led venture won the tender against bids from two other firms, Germany's Lahmeyer International with the local UBM, and the US' Harza Engineering with the local Dolsar.

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

The ASAT programme will meet the water supply and sewerage needs of an expanding population, expected to rise from the present 535,000 to 960,000 by 2005. The programme has also obtained funding from the European Investment Bank.

Two UK-led and two French-led ventures are expected to return bids for a 10-year operations and maintenance contract for water and wastewater services by an extended bid deadline of 1 August (MEED 3 1:5:96).