The Ministry of Water is hosting a market sounding event to gather feedback on the procurement approach options for the services mentioned above. The market sounding will also assist the government to gain clarity on the capacity of the market to swiftly mobilize on field-based aspects of the consultancy, the market’s ability to deliver the output, as well as the market’s perspectives on logistical, institutional and fiduciary aspects of Managed Aquifer Recharge projects.
The government intends to finance the subject consultancy services from project financing obtained from the World Bank for the Second Water Sector Support Project.
BACKGROUND
Over the last 25 years Tanzania’s renewable freshwater resources per person have dropped from more than 3,000 m3/capita/year to around 1,600 m3/capita/year – beneath the commonly accepted water stress threshold of 1,700 m3/capita. Over the same period, the size of the economy has tripled and both formal and informal irrigation have expanded. Water demand has exceeded dry season supply by up to 150% in some areas. Similarly, urbanization rates and industrial expansion across Tanzania’s strategic cities, including Dodoma, are challenged by water insecurity.
Currently, all of Dodoma’s water supply is sourced from a wellfield tapping the Makutupora aquifer. The local water utility currently supplies an average of 48,000-50,000 m3/day to the city in non-drought years. The water utility anticipates that the current amount of water available will not be able to meet the rising water demand. To deal with this problem, the Government of Tanzania has proposed to expand water supply for the city of Dodoma. To this end, the government is preparing to procure services to assess and design technology to expand water supply from the aquifer system. The studies will cover possible well-field expansion in nearby aquifers and constructing a Managed Aquifer Recharge plan that would utilize water from potential sources, including but not limited to:
1) Water from the wetlands, located near the Makutupora Well Field: During the rainy season surface water from the little Kinyasungwe River, the Madihi River and Nzuga River drains into a 20 km2 wetland located south-east of the Makutupora Well Field, a portion of which may be used to enhance aquifer recharge;
2) Treated waste- and stormwater from the City of Dodoma: Treated waste- and stormwater are the proposed sources for enhancing recharge to the Makutupora Aquifer. At present, there is no operational stormwater drainage system or wastewater treatment facility serving Dodoma or the surrounding area, but treatment plant upgrades are planned; and
3) Other precipitation and stormwater in the active Makutupora aquifer recharge zone.
Procurement approach:
The Government of Tanzania is considering various options for advancing procurement of services, which include the following four-phases;
- (i) pre-feasibility study to characterize options and the related risks of those options;
- (ii) feasibility study on selected technical options;
- (iii) design of selected options; and
- (iv) supervision during implementation of the designed options.
The studies require both desk and field work as well as geophysical investigation. Additional information in this respect will be provided and discussed during the market sounding event.