The Omani government is set to award a consultancy services contract for the development of a RO1.1-billion ($2.84 billion) wastewater project which will cover all the governorates of the sultanate, said a report.

The project is being developed by state-owned Oman Wastewater Services Company (Haya Water) whose original remit as the water reuse utility of Muscat governorate has been expanded to cover wastewater collection and treatment, as well as treated effluent distribution, across the sultanate, with the exception of Dhofar Governorate, reported the Oman Observer.

Several leading local and international consultancy firms are in the race for the big wastewater project, said the report.

The selected consultant will be required to develop a detailed masterplan, complete with a capital investment programme, covering a 25-year horizon.

Inputs for formulating this blueprint will be based on population forecasts, water demand and wastewater generation estimates, connection and coverage forecasts, treated effluent production, sludge generation, and various strategic masterplans of the government, it stated.

Last year, Haya Water had declared that it was progressively taking over the estimated 58 sewage treatment plants (STPs) and 820 km of sewage networks currently in operation in the sultanate.