Welsh Water turns on the tap

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is inviting contractors to pitch for framework deals to manage, upgrade and construct new assets worth £2bn. The contracts will cover the AMP 4 period beginning on 1 April 2005 and will run for between five and 15 years.

Three programmes of work, worth about £370m a year, are up for grabs. The largest is the £200m a year building and civil engineering programme covering: clean water treatment, storage and distribution; and the wastewater and sewerage programme, which includes pumping stations, treatment, disposal and outfalls. The envisaged contract duration is five to 10 years.

Welsh Water will appoint the following: one water mains partner; three wastewater construction partners; and two process partners. Two cost consultants partners and a partnering facilitator will also be appointed.

The second programme, worth £150m a year, encompasses asset operations including management, operation, operational maintenance and elements of capital maintenance of water and wastewater assets as outlined above. This contract will run for between 10 and 15 years.

On this deal, Welsh Water will appoint one contract for water supply, treatment and distribution, sewage treatment and disposal, along with some sewage pumping stations.

There will be four separate contracts for the sewerage network and three contracts for the sewerage pumping stations.

The third contract, worth £20m a year, covers income and billing and will last at least five years. One partner will be appointed for this task.

The timetable for the appointment of construction partners is as follows: expressions of interest need to be in by 20 June 2003; pre-qualified contractors will be selected by July; and enquiry documents will be issued in September.

Assessment of initial bids and shortlisting will take place between January and June 2004. Contracts will be awarded around November 2004.