Malawi seeks consultants to help with water-supply projects

The government of Malawi is seeking expressions of interest from consultancy firms for feasibility studies and the preliminary and detailed designs of raw-water sources and expansion works for water-supply schemes in several districts in the northern region of the country.

The consultancy assignments are part of a multimillion-dollar national water development programme, financed by a pool of financiers led by the World Bank.

“Elligible consulting firms must express their interest in providing feasibility study, design and construction supervision services for raw-water sources, rehabilitation, upgrading and expansion works,” says the Northern Region Water Board in a statement.

“Interested consulting firms must submit information indicating that they are qualified to [render] the services, including brochures, descriptions of experience in similar assignments, and the availability of appropriate skills among key staff. Consultants may associate to enhance their qualification.”

The water board says the works will involve the construction of intake structures, treatment plants, pumpstations, transmission mains, storage tanks, distribution systems and auxiliary buildings.

It adds that core staff required for the consultancy assignment include a water supply engineer, a financial analyst and a socioeconomist.

“In addition, small inputs will be required on electrical and mechanical works,” says the water board.

It says consulting firms will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank’s guidelines and, in assessing submissions, consideration will be given to the technical competence of the firm, experience on similar projects, managerial capability, liquidity of the firm and capacity in all respects to undertake the assignment.

Meanwhile, under the same national water development programme, the Blantyre Water Board, which supplies piped water to Blantyre and surrounding areas, has announced progress in the rehabilitation of its water-supply system.

The board says in a statement that, in readiness for the rehabilitation of its Walker’s Ferry pumpstation, it is importing high- and low-voltage cables from South Africa.

It says, once installed and commissioned, pumping will be uprated rom the current 70 000 cubic metres a day to 85 000 cubic metres a day.

The water board also says that the installation and commisioning of transformers at its Chileka pump station are complete, and that the station now has the capacity to pump 85 000 cubic metres a day.

With funding from the World Bank, the European Union and its other cooperating partners, the Malawi government is fast-tracking the rehabilitation of the water-supply system in Blantyre because the city has been experiencing intense water-supply problems.