At the forefront of delivering change in the water industry

As we're all aware, the water industry is under unprecedented strain due to ageing infrastructure coupled with greater pressure from extreme weather and the challenges of climate change and a growing population.

Clearly, greater investment is needed to support and develop the assets required to meet those challenges, and what we have seen during this asset management procurement (AMP8) cycle certainly reflects that.

The outcomes proposed will deliver significant improvements to river quality, less property flooding from sewers, enhanced water resilience and improvements to leakage performance and water quality.  

The investment programmes will give water companies access to huge resources and the digital technologies it needs to manage assets better, fix the leaks in the system, increase the capacity and improve sustainability and the environment.

It will also put AtkinsRéalis at the forefront of delivering the solutions our clients need as we have won a record number of places on major frameworks to deliver the investment programmes proposed under AMP8.

How AtkinsRéalis is playing a key role in delivering a step-change

At AtkinsRéalis we are playing a key role across the industry to enable water companies to make the best possible decisions for investment under AMP8 and deliver improvements for their customers – the public, me and you.

Our framework contract wins cover almost the whole of UK and Ireland, as well as a host of other project wins, putting us right at the heart of delivering the improvements in the sector we all want to see.

Over the past year we have been appointed by Thames Water to its technical partner framework on the largest strategic water resources options (SRO) program in the UK - in a joint venture with Stantec valued at around £300 million.

Thames Water, the largest water company in the country, is rolling out its plan to secure water supplies for the future and we have been chosen to deliver on a number of solutions for its customers and stakeholders in the south east of England, including new pipelines to transfer supplies and a wastewater re-use scheme in London.

Thames Water has also named AtkinsRéalis as a supplier to its £400m Asset, Capital and Engineering Professional Services framework, to support its infrastructure upgrades over the next five years (2025-2030).

In the North West, United Utilities has appointed AtkinsRéalis as one of three design and development partners (DDP) to deliver a major environmental program, worth around £90m, that will provide cleaner rivers, more reliable water supplies and improvements to services.

Our local delivery teams will create detailed designs for schemes across United Utilities’ water and wastewater sites, as well as bio resource and rainwater management projects. This may include deploying new technology solutions such as our automated digital design capability to make designing new assets faster and more cost-effective.

We have also been chosen as a partner in its network modelling and specialist design and development frameworks, to deliver modelling support for water and wastewater infrastructure.    

For Yorkshire Water we are part of the Storm Overflow Alliance which has been formed to deliver up to £1bn of capital investment in AMP8. The alliance is a significant and strategic partnership between Yorkshire Water, AtkinsRéalis, Morrison Water Services, Stantec, and Ward & Burke.

It will be a truly integrated, high performing industry-leading team that will deliver high quality sustainable solutions and world class performance for Yorkshire Water as it undertakes its ambitious investment plans for the next five years. 

Wessex Water across the south west of England selected AtkinsRéalis as one of its suppliers for its £3.7bn six-year capital delivery framework. Projects will include the design, construction and commissioning of new assets, and refurbishment, modifications and maintenance of above and below ground infrastructure.

In Wales, AtkinsRéalis, has been appointed by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) to support the delivery of its largest ever investment in environmental enhancements and protection of the water supply for its three million customers worth £3.5 billion if approved.

As one of four new Engineering Consultancy Services (ECS) partners, our teams in South Wales will play a key role in supporting DCWW in its drive to ensure improved services for its customers and its plans for managing the future impact of climate change, by creating more resilient infrastructure.

In Northern Ireland we’re very pleased to be working with NI Water on its Professional Services Framework, valued up to £800m, which will support the planning and delivery of its Capital Works Programme - including the sustainable delivery of key water and wastewater infrastructure projects across the region.

We will be delivering a wide range of professional services including project management, network modelling, digital innovation and plans to help NI Water strengthen climate resilience, while reducing carbon emissions and improving the overall efficiency of capital delivery.

Finally, in Ireland a joint venture of RPS – AtkinsRéalis – Long O Donnell has been selected by Uisce Éireann as Client Partner for the Water Supply Project, Eastern and Midlands Region.

The Water Supply Project is one of the largest and most important infrastructure projects in the history of the state. The delivery of the Water Supply Project is critical to sustainable economic growth, enabling housing delivery and attracting investment to support Ireland’s growing population.

So, while there is some uncertainty as to the final determination from Ofwat for those UK water companies, what is certain is that this AMP is a step forward in our commitment to invest in our critical water and wastewater infrastructure, and that future generations will ultimately benefit from our best endeavours.

Thanks to our wide and deep experience working in the global water market, we are well placed to work in collaboration with our clients to enable the decision-making that will lead to a better future for our planet and its people.

Find out more about our water market services