In a bid to fortify its water infrastructure, United Utilities has launched a quest for a technical advisor through a £50 million contract, essential for the successful execution of its £1.75 billion Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Scheme, reports New Civil Engineers.
This project aims to replace aging tunnels vital for supplying water to the Lake District.
The Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP) stands as a critical initiative, focusing on the overhaul of sections of the Haweswater Pipeline—a 110-kilometer conduit traversing the Lake District, Lancashire, and Greater Manchester. This pipeline, constructed between 1933 and 1955, has served 2.5 million residents in Cumbria, Lancashire, and Greater Manchester for six decades.
United Utilities is now in the process of securing a technical advisor for this scheme, aimed at fortifying long-term water supply resilience for Manchester and the Pennines. The project's procurement will adhere to Ofwat’s pioneering Direct Procurement for Customers approach, a first-of-its-kind in the UK.
Under this innovative approach, Ofwat mandates the appointment of a technical advisor/consultant to safeguard customers' interests concerning the project
Under this innovative approach, Ofwat mandates the appointment of a technical advisor/consultant to safeguard customers' interests concerning the project. The designated role is tasked with ensuring assurance regarding the project's costs and delivery under the Direct Procurement for Customers model.
The £50 million technical advisor contract necessitates expertise in tunnelling machinery and operations, financial consulting, civil engineering, geotechnical services, and quantity surveying.
United Utilities underscores the consultant's pivotal role in ensuring impartial oversight of costs potentially borne by customers and in rigorously scrutinizing and evaluating the management of project costs and delivery by the appointed Competitive Appointed Provider (CAP).
Spanning an 11-year duration, this contract, totaling 132 months, will not be subject to renewal. Prospective bidders for the contract must submit their proposals by 12 pm on June 7th.
The long-awaited HARP was formally introduced to the market in June 2022, with its value nearly doubling the initial estimates. United Utilities sought a CAP to handle the design, construction, financing, and maintenance of all six tunnel sections under the mammoth £1.75 billion agreement.
