France's Vivendi Water is well placed to win a contract valued at $26 million to build wastewater treatment plants in the port cities of Latakia and Tartous. Vivendi bid for the work through its engineering affiliate, OTV Lebanon.

Vivendi says negotiations are now underway about financing for the design, build, operation and maintenance (O&M) contract. The company says financing is expected to be made available from the French government.

The contract entails the construction of complete wastewater treatment plants that will discharge effluent into the Mediterranean, as well as providing recycled water for irrigation purposes. Sludge treatment is also required.

Another Vivendi affiliate, Belgium's SEE, has been working in Homs on a similar project, according to a contract awarded in 1994 which also involves an O&M phase (MEED 18:2:94). The company is also bidding for a contract to sterilise drinking water in Aleppo through an ozonation process.