Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a qualified professional service provider to develop a comprehensive Bulk Infrastructure Masterplan for Vaal Central Water Board (VCWB). The masterplan aims to serve as a strategic and technical roadmap to guide infrastructure investments, resource optimization, and sustainable water service delivery over the next 30 years (2025–2055). It seeks to enhance water security, service reliability, operational efficiency, resilience, and sustainability in line with national frameworks such as DWS Reconciliation Strategies, NWRS, and NIP 2050.

Scope

The scope includes:

• Developing a strategic masterplan covering bulk water infrastructure including treatment plants, storage facilities, transmission, and distribution systems.
• Conducting technical assessments, modeling, and environmental analyses.
• Engaging stakeholders such as DWS, municipalities, and water users.
• Producing deliverables such as situational analysis reports, spatial analysis, asset GIS systems, investment frameworks, and final stakeholder-validated masterplan reports.
• Implementing governance and institutional arrangements, including project management, risk mitigation, local participation, and knowledge transfer.
• Ensuring compliance with national water strategies and frameworks.

Technical Requirements

The technical requirements include:

• Demonstrated experience in bulk water master planning, water resource planning, or large-scale infrastructure strategies.
• Proposed approach and methodology aligned with VCWB’s mandate and national frameworks.
• Use of advanced modeling and GIS tools such as EPANET, WaterGEMS, ArcGIS, QGIS, and scenario planning tools.
• Qualified key personnel including project director, water resource specialists, environmental and climate change experts, economists/financial analysts, GIS/modelling experts, and stakeholder engagement practitioners.
• Development of detailed work plans, schedules, risk management strategies, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Provision of institutional and partnership models, operational and maintenance regimes, and capacity-building initiatives.
• Deliverables including inception reports, situational analysis, draft and final masterplans, GIS systems, and concept designs, all within an estimated 12-month project duration.

Skills Requirements

The successful service provider must demonstrate:

• Relevant experience in bulk water infrastructure planning within South Africa or similar contexts.
• Technical expertise in water resource modeling, GIS, hydraulic modeling, and scenario analysis.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to develop and adhere to detailed work plans, schedules, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Capacity to facilitate multi-stakeholder engagement and knowledge transfer.
• Qualified multidisciplinary team members with relevant postgraduate degrees and extensive experience (minimum 8–15 years depending on role).
• Proven ability to deliver comprehensive reports, GIS systems, and technical assessments aligned with national water strategies.