Veolia and Suez to design and operate Bangladeshi water treatment plant

The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has chosen Veolia and Suez to design, build and operate the Gandharbpur drinking water treatment plant. WASA is the body in charge of drinking water and wastewater management for the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka.

The contract represents a cumulative total of around €275 million. The project will be conducted through a joint venture held equally by Veolia (through its fully owned subsidiary Veolia Water Technologies) and Suez, the consortium leader.

The contract covers the design, construction and operation of a new drinking water treatment plant using a water intake 22km upstream on the Meghna River. Located in Dhaka’s Gandharbpur district, this plant will supply approximately 4.3 million of the capital’s residents with drinking water compliant with the World Health Organization’s international standards. The plant will reach a daily production capacity of 500,000 m³.

The facility is located in a region subject to flooding and earthquakes, so has been designed to withstand the risks related to the region’s frequent earthquakes.

The design and complete construction of the facility is scheduled to take four years and will be followed by a three-year operation and maintenance phase. The two partners will ensure the gradual transfer of expertise to WASA employees. The plant will be funded by the Asian Development Bank, the AFD (French Development Agency), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Bangladeshi government.