Thames Water has published a contract notice inviting interested suppliers to respond to a Request For Proposals (RFP) from qualified vendors aiming to automate and optimise specific aspects of its Regional SCADA system.

Currently, a considerable portion of the water company’s operation relies on manual management by a control room. The primary objective is to conduct a Proof of Concept (POC) for either the Lower Hall B & Woodford hydraulic systems or the entire Thames Water Ring Main.

Thames says this will allow the control to be optimised, ensuring continued supply of wholesome water, whilst taking into consideration operating strategies to reduce leakage and energy use. It will also remove the risk of any human error.

The vendor will be required to provide the following services:

• Detailed Design: Conduct a thorough assessment of how the product will be integrated within existing Thames Water Infrastructure to meet both operational and maintenance needs to optimise two hydraulic areas.
• Develop, Test & Deploy: Deliver a centralised automation solution that addresses our specific requirements, full testing in advance of deployment into production.
• Commission & Optimise: Full testing within the production environment to ensure the solution is fit for purpose and enables continued operation whilst generating optimal benefit.
• User Training: Provide comprehensive training sessions for our staff to ensure proper utilisation of the software features.
• Ongoing Support: Offer 24/7 technical support and maintenance services postimplementation, including regular updates and bug fixes.

Thames Water envisages that the contract will be awarded for an initial term of 4 years with options to extend up to a maximum duration of 3 years.

Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate (originally published as 12 January 2024) is 2 February 2024 – click here to access the tender documentation.