The Water Authority has received two tenders for the construction and operation of a new water plant to be located in North Side.
The plant will be located at a site off Botanic Park Rd, North Side, and will be capable of producing nearly three million gallons of water per day.
The Water Authority currently has two plants at Red Bay and another at Lower Valley.
Water Authority Deputy Director Tom van Zanten said locating the plant in a different area of the island means there will be less chance of major service interruption during natural disasters.
Like the existing plants, the new facility will use reverse osmosis to convert seawater into drinking water.
Under the terms of the 10-year concession contract, the winning bidder will provide the Water Authority with whatever amount of water it requires (within capacity).
The bids are now being evaluated by the Water Authority. The Water Authority Board will then evaluate the bids before passing them onto the Central Tenders Committee.
Mr. Van Zanten said the winning bidder is obliged to begin producing water within one year of signing the contract.
The contract demands the plant be able to withstand winds up to 150mph. It must also contain an emergency generator so water can be produced in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster.
Mr. van Zanten said the new plant will not expedite the process of extending main-line water supply to North Side and East End but it will make the service they eventually receive more reliable.
The Authority is working hard to extend coverage to these areas within 12 to 18 months, he added.
Explaining what stage they were up to in bringing main-line water to North Side, Mr. van Zanten said work had progressed to the Hutland Rd intersection, going west on North Side Rd.
Going east from Frank Sound Rd, work has progressed to the Queens Highway monument, he said.
Related Videos
