Wessex Water has announced its selected contractors for the AMP8 framework, set from 2025 to 2030.
- Kier secures a prominent position with involvement in three of the four framework lots worth £3.7bn.
- Galliford Try is expected to generate over £400m in revenue from its two secured slots.
- Frameworks span initial six years with potential five-year extensions, enhancing regional infrastructure.
- Contractors will contribute to net-zero, biodiversity, and improving water services for over 1.4 million users.
Wessex Water has revealed the contractors and consultants chosen for its eighth asset management period (AMP8), scheduled to run from 2025 to 2030. The framework involves a significant £3.7 billion investment, highlighting the water company’s commitment to enhancing regional infrastructure. This initiative aims to address key environmental and operational targets across Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, and parts of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Hampshire.
Among the major beneficiaries, Kier has secured participation in three of the four framework lots. This substantial involvement underscores Kier’s pivotal role in the project, facilitating a wide range of pivotal services aimed at boosting both water and sewerage operations. Galliford Try has equally marked its presence by securing two slots, which are expected to contribute over £400 million in anticipated revenues. These strategic positions reflect the companies’ capabilities in delivering large-scale construction and infrastructure solutions.
The framework contracts stand for an initial six-year duration with the possibility of a five-year extension, illustrating Wessex Water’s long-term vision for infrastructure enhancement. The framework covers various integrated services, including design and build projects where Mott MacDonald Bentley, Kier, Galliford Try Construction, and Morgan Sindall play significant roles. Design consultancy services are led by Aecom, among others, ensuring a collaborative approach to framework objectives.
Paul Lewis, the engineering and delivery director at Wessex Water, emphasised the broader impact of these contracts, noting that these awards would extend reach in delivery, training, and development, doubling the scale of AMP7 (2020-2025) commitments. Similarly, Aecom highlighted its collaborative efforts to meet Wessex Water’s ambitious outcome targets, which focus on net-zero carbon initiatives, biodiversity improvements, and maintaining high standards in water and sewerage systems.
The water company caters to 1.4 million customers with water services and 2.9 million with sewerage services, underpinning the importance of robustness and reliability in their operations. They manage an extensive network, including 35,000 km of sewers and 12,000 km of water mains, underlining the necessity for efficient and effective management.
The intensified scrutiny of the water sector’s performance, particularly concerning sewage discharges into rivers, has influenced recent regulatory activities. Notably, in March 2022, Ofwat initiated an enforcement case against Wessex Water among other firms for their sewage management practices. Bill Hocking, CEO of Galliford Try, reinforced the company’s commitment to sustainable growth in this sector, aligning with regulatory and environmental priorities.
The £3.7 billion AMP8 framework underscores a transformative phase for Wessex Water and its partners, enhancing regional water infrastructure.
