Bids for the operation and maintenance of water and sewage treatment plants in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Cluster, covering over 12 cities and governorates, have been called for by the National Water Company (NWC). The company said only prequalified consortia were eligible to submit bids for the contract, which will be implemented in coordination with the private sector.

The company said that it expects to begin receiving tenders in June to assess them and complete the contracting procedures with the winning consortium.

NWC explained that the contract features key indicators to be reached, the most important of which are: improving and developing customer experience; raising operational efficiency through prorating costs, reducing water waste, and improving network management, in addition to contributing to financial sustainability.

The winning consortium will supervise the development, management, operation and maintenance of water and sanitation drainage systems, in addition to the management and development of customer services, bill collection, leakage reduction, training, qualifying and developing current staff, and upgradation of the performance of the water and sewage drainage sectors in the Eastern Cluster, NWC said.

Issuing the specifications for the management contract to local and international pre-qualified consortia, NWC said this was the third contract to be tendered within a short period.

According to a statement, in December last year, the company tendered the second operation and maintenance management contracts for the Central Region with the deadline for receiving bids set in April. The first operation and maintenance contract was for the Northwestern Cluster, comprising the regions of Madinah and Tabuk, which was awarded to a Saudi-French-Philippine consortium for a seven-year period.