Member Article

North East firms boosted by £1bn Northumbrian Water contracts

Northumbrian Water Group has granted a series of contracts worth over £1bn to firms as part of an initiative to maintain quality tap water, reduce sewer flooding and protect the environment.

Announcing five framework agreements with five companies, valued at £500m, the utility powerhouse will see its network of sewer and water pipes and water and wastewater treatment assets upgraded.

Ten-year contracts have been awarded to Esh Construction and MWH in a joint venture, Mott MacDonald Bentley, Interserve and Integrated Water Services.

The £50m-a-year deals will begin on Thursday October 1 2015 and work will be carried out in the North East of England and in Northumbrian Water’s southern region where it operates as Essex & Suffolk Water.

These latest contract awards follow the announcement of partnership agreements, worth £580 million, with Esh Construction, based in County Durham, and Seymour Civil Engineering Contractors, based in Hartlepool, to repair and maintain Northumbrian Water’s vast 30,000 kilometre sewer network.

Moreover, Fastflow Pipeline Services, based in Washington, Crossglade and Lowman, who are both based in Essex, and T4 Survey, based in Ipswich, will maintain and upgrade 26,000 kilometres of water pipes in the North East, Essex and Suffolk.

John McGovern, Northumbrian Water Group’s Head of Asset Delivery, said: “These partnership agreements clearly demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers, who rely on us every day, with an excellent service and to protecting the environment. The contracts will boost the economy of our region and of the local communities we serve and will also support employment.

“We are working closely with all companies involved to ensure the smooth transition of contracts and we look forward to working with those appointed. Having long-term framework agreements in place will enable better planning, relationship building and the transfer of in-depth knowledge and skills. As a result of the security that this work brings, those who have won contracts will also be able to further invest in their own businesses, people and systems.”

Steve Tetlow, Bidding and Strategy Director of Mott MacDonald Bentley, based in Durham, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to these two new frameworks with

Northumbrian Water Group. They build on our decade long relationship, and allow us to extend the investment in our local resource base.

“The water and wastewater networks framework will see us undertaking planned maintenance on sewers and strategic water mains, and installing property level flood protection measures on domestic and commercial properties.

“The water and wastewater treatment framework will involve improving a wide range of assets including treatment works, boreholes, pumping stations and reservoirs. We look forward to working with the other successful framework companies as ‘one team’, to deliver high levels of customer service in the most efficient way.”

Stephen Wilkie, Regional Managing Director of Esh Construction, based in County Durham, said: “Together with our colleagues at MWH, with whom we have worked for over 10 years, we are proud and delighted to have been awarded this contract. Our joint venture company will be delivering five main areas of planned maintenance to Northumbrian Water’s water and wastewater networks.

“These range from short term flood damage mitigation to significant long term, large-scale capital projects designed to improve overall asset infrastructure. This contract extends our working relationship with Northumbrian Water with whom we have worked for over 20 years and is in addition to the reactive wastewater maintenance contract which we won earlier this year.

Cath Schefer, Managing Director of MWH UK commented: ‘“We’re delighted with our appointment to this framework contract with our partners Esh. It is a great opportunity to bring our complementary capabilities to meet the challenges of AMP6 and the Totex environment. We look forward to working collaboratively with the other framework partners to drive efficiencies and ‘best in class’ customer service.”