Located on the Oued Zeroud, between Nasrallah and Hajeb El Ayoun in the central governorate of Kairouan, the dam impounds one of the largest of Tunisia’s 30 reservoirs. The 82 m-high dam impounds a reservoir with a current storage capacity of around 120 x 106 m3 of. Commissioned in 1982, it regulates the flow of the Zeroud wadi and retains water during phases of heavy rainfall, thus preventing flooding in the Kairouan region, as well as providing water to the population and for irrigation of an area of 4600 ha during periods of drought. As a result of sedimentation, the reservoir has lost a third of its capacity of 210 x 106 m3 over the last 40 years. As dredging would be too expensive, the dam will be modernized and heightened to provide a long-term solution. The structural stability of the dam allows for an increase of up to 5 m, which is expected to provide additional water volumes of between 100 and 120 x 106 m3. The heightening of the dam, which the German development bank KfW Entwicklungsbank is co-financing with up to €15 million on behalf of the German Government, is part of the Rural Development with Integrated Water Resources Management programme (IWRM) launched by the Tunisian Government.
The technical assistance requested includes engineering services for the planned measures and support to the project owner during the execution of the works comprising:
-the increase by a maximum of 5 m in the level of the normal reservoir of the Sidi Saad dam by the building of a sill in the intake channel to the existing spillway;
-the demolition and reconstruction of the right side bay wall of the intake; and,
-rehabilitation and/or replacement of hydromechanical and electrical installations as well as the rehabilitation of other components of the dam.
The consulting services will require: the preparation of the execution studies for the civil engineering component and control and verification of the studies of execution for the hydromechanical and electrical component; design and planning of hydraulic development works; assessment of design for the implementation of environmental and social studies; preparation of bidding documents; assistance to the contracting authority during the procurement process including the analysis of offers and contract negotiations; and, supervision of the work during the raising and rehabilitation of the dam.
A standard prequalification document containing additional information on the objectives of the requested services, the detailed scope of services to be provided, the documents to be submitted, as well as details of the prequalification evaluation can be obtained by email at the following address: Linsenbold@hotmail.com with cc to rabii_khlifi@yahoo.com and saskia.schindler@kfw.de.
