Purpose

United Utilities is responsible for water and wastewater services in the north west of England. They deliver 1.8 billion litres of water a day to more than 3 million homes and businesses and treat all the wastewater in the region. They do this by maintaining a vast network of reservoirs, treatment works and pumping stations, thousands of kilometres of water pipes and sewers.

The construction delivery partners framework was established to provide the design, engineering and construction works needed to upgrade and renew the water and waste infrastructure, through the AMP6 regulatory period (April 2015 to March 2020).

What we did

VolkerStevin collaborated with Jacobs to create C2V+, a specially formed joint venture with the capacity and capability to deliver the broad scope of multidisciplinary activities that United Utilities needed. Our integrated  teams were responsible for designing, managing, constructing, testing, and commissioning 25 projects with a combined value of over £300m. Our work included a variety of water and wastewater treatment facilities, pipelines, pumping stations, reservoirs and MEICA installations.

We went from a standing start to £60m of delivery in year one. We began with a lean, dedicated and integrated management team working from an existing office. We recruited staff and operatives to support existing staff, growing organically before moving into a dedicated, co-located framework office. We established governance processes and project management systems, and identified, contracted and inducted key supply chain partners. We immediately began developing innovative solutions to directly awarded work packages.

We developed an innovative ‘Plus Partner’ delivery model which saw tier two contractors fully integrated into our project teams. This helped provide the breadth of skills and competencies demanded by the complex and multidisciplined programme.

We designed and built projects ranging from £100k to the £70m Morecambe Catchment Strategy scheme and delivered the work in a manner that enhanced United Utilities’ reputation in the eyes of its customers and regulators. Our teams overcame the logistical and access challenges of working in remote locations in Cumbria. They maintained great community relationships whilst constructing infrastructure just meters from residential properties. The work we did to minimise disruption and keep local people informed resulted in the public nominating our employees for hundreds of WOW! Awards, which recognise outstanding customer service based purely on customer nominations.

Project successes

We finished the AMP6 period in first place in a league table of United Utilities’ construction delivery partners. We scored the maximum weighting in eight of our ten KPIs. We hit all of our crucial regulatory commitment dates, including five in March 2020. This was a remarkable achievement given that this was at the height of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the country was adapting to lockdown restrictions.

We delivered several award-winning projects. For instance, the British Construction Industry Awards (BCIA’s) judges presented us with the Utility Project of the Year Award two years in a row for our Anchorsholme Outfall Pumping Station and Morecambe Catchment Strategy schemes. The BCIA awards are considered one of the most prestigious awards in the UK construction industry and the ultimate indication of project success.

Our strong performance on AMP6 helped us to retain a position on the framework for the AMP7 period, which runs until 2025. We will deliver up to 100 projects in United Utilities’ southeast region covering Greater Manchester and Cheshire.