Spotlight: La Zurza treatment plant in Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, has suffered significant pollution in many of its rivers, and most of it derives from wastewater discharges.

In order to solve this problem and boost the city's tourism potential, the National Government developed a master plan that includes several sewerage works.

One of the works involves the construction of the Mirador Norte-La Zurza wastewater treatment plant, a project whose management is in the hands of the Santo Domingo state water company, CAASD.

Construction of the plant began in April 2016, with an original completion time of 24 months.

The first phase of the installation requires approximately 55mn euros (US $ 64.35mn), a sum that is being financed by Germany's Deutsche Bank.

The works for the first stage were due to be ready in 1Q, but currently the infrastructure is 90% complete.

The facility will expand every 10 years, as recommended by the master plan.

The project is expected to benefit more than 450,000 residents of the National District, and the province of Santo Domingo.

The turnkey contract for the construction of the project was awarded to a Spanish consortium made up of Incatema Consulting (63%) and Inypsa (37%).

PROJECT DETAILS

Once ready, the plant will treat 1.2m3 s of wastewater produced in the districts of Cristo Rey, La Zurza, April 24, Simón Bolívar, Ensanche La Fe, Villa Juana, Villa Agrícolas, Villa Consuelo, Los Guarícanos, Sabana Lost and Villa Mella.

The facility will contribute to the cleaning of the local Ozama and Isabela rivers, and is intended to serve as a wetland, through artificial lagoons with flotation plants that will purify the water before it flows into the rivers.

The plant will use biological filtration, purification and disinfection technologies, while the sludge produced will undergo treatment processes that include anaerobic digestion and dehydration.

Some of the components of the facility have already been completed, including the primary and secondary decanters, and the grease and sediment filters.

In addition, more than 3,000m of 48-inch diameter pipes have been laid. The consortium is currently working on the construction of underground infrastructure to install 36-inch pipes and connect them to 48-inch pipes.

COMPLEMENTARY BID

At the end of last month, CAASD launched a complementary auction for the construction of a pumping station, another component of the plant.

The deadline for submitting offers is July 4. Only proposals from those bidders whose technical proposals were approved will be opened on July 11.

The bid review process is expected to end on July 13, and the contract award will take place shortly thereafter.

Construction of the pumping station should be completed within 12 months.

Photo: Map showing the location of the La Zurza wastewater treatment plant.

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