United Utilities has awarded three five-year contracts worth £17 million per year to Sapphire Utility Solutions as part of the AMP7 period.
The contracts are for:
- Lot 3 – core repair and maintenance wastewater works in the North region
- Lot 6 – wastewater minor civils works across the region
- Lot 9 – wastewater major civils works across the region
The works will involve jetting, CCTV investigations, sewer lining, civils activities and the provision of Sapphire’s recycler units, including those equipped with mainline CCTV cameras and the Urban Recycler, a compact “first-time resolution” recycler, with the ability for full recycling.
Sapphire says the new contracts aim to “bring efficiencies through innovative ways of working” while at the same time improving customer experience by proactively identifying and resolving issues on the network, before they impact consumers.
Colin Kelly, Sapphire’s managing director, said: “We have worked with United Utilities for a number of years now as a tier two supplier, but these represent our first major contracts working directly with the water company.
“This success is a reflection of the investments we have made in the latest technologies and in a workforce that is passionate about delivering outstanding service.
“We are looking forward to working in collaboration with United Utilities to provide a first-time resolution to customers, to the highest standards of quality and health and safety.”
Kevin Fowlie, United Utilities’ network delivery director, said: “Our new network maintenance services partners will help us improve customer experience, achieve the highest standards of health and safety and provide an end-to-end view of all the maintenance activities in progress.
“Working with multiple suppliers gives us greater flexibility and this new structure will also provide us with the opportunity to work more effectively together and collectively raise the bar on standards and customer experience.
“These contracts have been won by companies with the North West as their heartland and with skilled workforces, working alongside our own teams, supporting the economic wellbeing of our region and delivering best value for our customers.”