Southern Water has awarded further AMP8 capital infrastructure contracts under a new collaborative framework which had an estimated value of £700 million when it was first tendered in 2023.

The water company is anticipating that AMP8 will be the largest investment programme it has ever undertaken, given its plans for WINEP and WRMP.

The current frameworks used for engineering, design and construction services have been in place for almost 10 years and expire on 31st March 2025.

Southern Water has establisheda new collaborative framework to deliver low complexity infrastructure design and build schemes. The framework was tendered in 2 separate Lots - one for water and wastewater.

A framework for Non-Infrastructure works has already been established for the remainder of AMP7 and AMP8.

Both Lot 1 Capital Infrastructure Water and Lot 2 Capital Infrastructure Wastewater are intended to be used for routine asset replacement works which require limited design, and can be readily packaged and allocated by the client. The new arrangements will also offer the option of running for AMP9.

The successful contractors appointed to each Lot will work with the water company to provide engineering capability and expertise to identify and develop options in accordance with Southern Water’s technical and engineering standards for all aspects of water and wastewater systems.

Thw will be required to achieve the required asset performance or customer outcomes by identifying a range of solutions, including:

• low build or no-build solutions.
• sustainable solutions including low carbon, catchment, and nature-based solutions.
• lowest Totex or Best Value solutions across an agreed tranche or programme of works.
• demonstrate how the solution(s) deliver benefit through Southern Water’s Balanced Scorecard, and at an aggregate catchment or system level.

The contractors will also provide construction management services and expertise including:

• Create, manage and optimise allocated programmes, including developing programme, tranche and project execution plans
• Supporting the water company with pre-construction enabling activities.
• Undertaking construction enabling activities (e.g. site surveys, site preparation, streetworks management, including communicating with the customer).
• Preparing all aspects of work delivery planning, including identification of the most cost-efficient civils, mechanical and electrical, and environmental construction resource to deliver the works
• Work with Southern Water to regularly optimise the specification and procurement of the utility’s Standard Asset List, including use of centralised or buying club solutions
• Managing and undertaking construction delivery to agreed time, cost, quality and risk parameters
• Managing and undertaking commissioning and handover according to Southern Water’s Engineering Standards.

Southern Water does not intend to award any further contracts and has terminated its original call for competition issued in the form of a Periodic Indicative Notice in 2023.

The following companies have all been awarded contracts: 

• Clancy Docwra (£96,700,000)
• Barhale Ltd (£70,000,000)
• United Living Infrastructure Services ( £70,000,000 )
• J Browne Construction Ltd (£96,000,000)
• Morrisons Water Services Ltd (£96,000,000)