Collaboration at heart of framework agreement

Portsmouth Water has signed an initial four-year framework agreement with Trant Engineering for the remainder of the water company’s seventh asset management period (AMP7) to 2025, with the option of a five-year extension for the AMP8 regulatory period to 2030. The contract is worth up to £20 million. Scope of work in the non-infrastructure investment programme includes maintenance and new projects for assets above and below ground. Pictured at the signing, from left, are, seated, Bob Taylor, Chief Executive, Portsmouth Water, and, Gerry Somers, Managing Director, UK, Trant Engineering. From left at the back, James Henderson, Director – Process & Water, Trant Engineering, and Mark Mills, Head of Production & Asset Delivery, Portsmouth Water. Protective face coverings were worn inside Portsmouth Water’s head office in Havant, near Portsmouth, where the signing took place. Portsmouth Water supplies clean drinking water from boreholes, springs and a river to 320,000 properties in Hampshire and West Sussex. An initial four-year framework agreement has been awarded by Portsmouth Water to water sector specialist Trant Engineering. Worth up to £20 million, the contract to maintain and improve assets above and below the ground includes the option of a five-year extension. The investment programme is for the remainder of Portsmouth Water’s seventh asset management period (AMP7) to 2025 and an extension would cover the AMP8 regulatory period to 2030. Portsmouth Water supplies clean drinking water from boreholes, springs and a river to 320,000 properties in Hampshire and West Sussex, including Portsmouth, Havant, Hayling Island, Emsworth, Chichester and Bognor Regis. Trant Engineering, headquartered near Southampton, has worked on bespoke projects for Portsmouth Water for more than 15 years, including the design, installation and commissioning of ultraviolet disinfection technology. Bob Taylor, Portsmouth Water’s Chief Executive, and Gerry Somers, Trant Engineering’s UK Managing Director, signed the contract at Portsmouth Water’s head office in Havant, near Portsmouth. Mr Taylor said: “Portsmouth Water has a laser focus on delivering industry-leading performance – operationally and in customer service – in a dynamic era of water resilience, sustainability, technology and regulatory accountability. “Trant Engineering has consistently proved itself to be a leading contractor to the water industry and its collaborative ‘one team’ approach, innovation and can-do attitude has been well received.” James Henderson, Director – Process & Water, Trant Engineering, said: “Our costreimbursement business model, aligned with collaborative working with Portsmouth Water, means we can efficiently and effectively deliver a programme of maintenance and new works. “The framework agreement builds upon a long and trusted relationship with Portsmouth Water spanning three decades.” Scope of work includes water treatment works, pumping stations, service reservoirs, pressure-reducing values, water treatment processes and equipment, boreholes, reservoirs, pumping stations and monitoring equipment and systems. Disciplines by Trant Engineering cover Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation (MEICA) and other specialist activities such as chlorine and sulphur dioxide gas systems, hatch alarms for reservoir and water treatment works, borehole and reservoir rehabilitation work, cathodic protection and telemetry work. Civil engineering and building works by Trant Engineering are also included within the non-infrastructure investment programme.A series of collaborative workshops with Portsmouth Water and Trant Engineering have already been rolled out successfully, Mr Henderson added. Portsmouth Water, which continues to maintain its position of delivering the lowest water bills in England and Wales, does not own or operate wastewater facilities.