Severn Trent has further extended the deadline for preliminary market engagement with the supply chain from 1 August to 7 September 2025 to establish the feasibility of the market for the £200 million Minworth Strategic Resource Option (SRO) .
The Minworth SRO is the Northern Section of the wider Grand Union Canal Transfer SRO. The Grand Union Canal Transfer (GUCT) is a collaborative initiative between Affinity Water and Severn Trent, aimed at bringing water from the Midlands to the South East.
The GUCT project intends to take treated wastewater from SVE’s Minworth Wastewater Treatment Works to be delivered to Affinity customers in the South East via the Canal and Rivers Trust’s (CRT) Grand Union Canal.
GUCT encompasses two Strategic Resource Options (SROs); Minworth SRO in the north and the GUC SRO in the south.
The Minworth SRO is being delivered by Severn Trent while the GUC SRO is being delivered by Affinity Water.
The Minworth SRO seeks to provide a sustainable solution to meet future water demands and improve water security in the Southeast region.
Broadly speaking, the Minworth SRO encompasses the construction of an Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) on Severn Trent’s existing Minworth site and transfer via an underground pipeline to an outfall into the Coventry Canal at Atherstone. From there, the GUC SRO project will take the water along the existing canal network before being abstracted and treated near Luton.
Image: Minworth SRO diagram of requirements
It is currently intended that the GUC SRO will be delivered by Affinity Water using the Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) process. Severn Trent does not intend to deliver the Minworth SRO using the DPC process but iunstead plans to deliver it in house.
Current estimated start and end contract dates for Minworthare 1 December 2028 to 1 December 2030.
Severn Trent is inviting interested suppliers to complete an online form – required information includes:
- company name, address, contact details and email addresses for named contacts
- views on proposed timeline and feasibility for delivery
- key factors to consider – project specific & wider macroeconomic which would influence the decision to participate in Minworth SRO & GUC SRO in either a positive or negative manner to participate in both SROs as a full scheme
- market insights on previously delivered SRO schemes
- views on potential market engagement topics – procurement plan, commercial strategy, technical strategy, pricing options, sustainability – and any suggestions for additional topics
Click here for more information about the Severn Trent Minworth SRO
Click here for additional information about the GUCT SRO
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