United Utilities has awarded an Early Contractor Involvement contract to support the development of its flagship Manchester and Pennines Resilience project.

Manchester and Pennine Resilience, the utility's largest and most significant water service resilience risk, is associated with a potential failure of the major strategic aqueduct. The aqueduct supplies a third of the region's drinking water every day but its condition is deteriorating.

The utility is proposing to use the direct procurement model for the major £750 million-plus Manchester and Pennines Resilience scheme.

The water company is proposing to carry out preliminary designs, land surveys and investigations as well as submitting for planning consent by 2021.

The agreement has been awarded for an initial 3-year term with the option to extend the agreement up to a further 2 years, up to a maximum of 5 years.

Costain, one of two companies in the bidding for the work, has been awarded a framework contract.