Water Security Engineering Design Services

The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has issued Request for Proposal PEA8343/2026/RFP for a professional engineering services provider to design water security solutions at Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (CDSIA) in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape. The project responds to prolonged drought in the Nelson Mandela Bay region, where the Churchill Dam, the airport's main supply, was at 14.63% in April 2023. The appointment is for a consultant, not a construction contractor. The scope covers hydrogeological investigation of unexplained groundwater in the terminal building basement, design of new borehole(s) and a 500,000-litre reservoir, extraction and rainwater harvesting routed to storage, a water treatment plant (chlorination) compliant with SANS 241:2015, and reticulation to end users. Deliverables also include borehole siting, yield testing, pump sizing, water quality testing, environmental impact assessment, and a Water Use Licence Application with the Department of Water and Sanitation. The consultant will follow the NEC3 Professional Services Contract through six stages: inception, preliminary design, detailed design, documentation and procurement, contract administration and inspection (Level II supervision), and close-out. The works take place on the landside of a live, operational airport, so work must follow ACSA airside permit, security, OHS, and environmental requirements.

Evaluation follows the 80/20 preference point system (Price 80, B-BBEE and specific goals 20). Stage 1 is mandatory: attendance at the compulsory briefing and site inspection on 9 November 2026 and a signed Form of Offer. Stage 2 is functionality, with a minimum threshold of 85 out of 100 points. Functionality is scored on company experience with at least five completed water projects in the past 10 years (50 points, verifiable references required), a Principal Engineer with Pr Eng registration and water-related experience (30 points), and a Hydrologist or Hydrogeologist with NQF Level 7 and water project experience (20 points). Required insurance includes Professional Indemnity of R5 million and Public Liability of R10 million. Consultants must hold ISO 9001 accreditation. The consultant must also provide two ACSA trainees (a project manager and a civil engineer trainee) with training throughout the project. Pricing must use the prescribed SBD 3.3 schedule as a percentage fee on the R10 million estimated construction value. Key queries close on 17 November 2026, and bids close on 27 November 2026 at 12:00. Bids must be hand-delivered in printed format (one original and one copy) to the CDSIA tender box, with ACSA's Tax Compliance Status PIN, CSD report, and a signed Declaration of Interest. Validity is 120 business days.