• Thames Water has concluded a Technical Partner Framework procurement exercise to support the delivery of its Strategic Resource Options (SRO) Programme
• The proposed SROs form part of the company’s draft Water Resource Management Plan, which include a potential new reservoir in Oxfordshire and new river abstraction point on the River Thames supported by water recycling
• The framework will give the company access to professional support services worth up to £300m as it works to advance a number of strategic projects to address future water supply challenges

Thames Water has implemented a Technical Partner Framework to support the delivery of its Strategic Resource Options (SRO) Programme. As part of this recent procurement exercise, Thames Water, sought to work with partners that demonstrated extensive experience in developing and supporting large complex infrastructure projects in the current UK planning environment.

The Technical Partner Framework has been awarded to three consortiums:

• Arup & Binnies
• AtkinsRéalis & Stantec
• Jacobs & Mott MacDonald

The company predicts that that across London and the Thames Valley, it will need an additional billion litres of water every day for its customers in the next 50 years. The framework will support the partnership work required to deliver the major infrastructure needed to meet the water scarcity challenges ahead, including climate change and a growing population.

In announcing the successful completion of this framework procurement, Mohit Farmah, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain for Thames Water’s Strategic Resource Options Directorate, said: “This Framework Agreement marks a significant step forward with our Strategic Resource Options Programme. We will now look to work with our technical partners to drive the development of innovative solutions, which will protect the environment, benefit our customers and secure future water supply to enhance drought resilience.”

Paula Walsh, incoming Chair UK, India, Middle East and Africa Region at Arup and Scott Aitken, Managing Director, Binnies, said: "The Arup Binnies joint venture is delighted to support Thames Water's ambitious goals through the Strategic Resource Options programme at such a pivotal time when our country faces a substantial water shortage challenge. Our diverse experience developed on large infrastructure projects such as Thames Tideway Tunnel, Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Works and the A66 Trans-Pennine DCO demonstrates our teams’ expertise to develop more secure, sustainable and resilient solutions that leave a legacy for future generations.”

Mike McNicholas, Managing Director for Infrastructure at AtkinsRéalis and Mark Tindale, Water Strategy Director at Stantec said: “The plan from Thames Water is the largest strategic water resources programme in the country and will secure resilient water supply for millions of customers and stakeholders in the south and southeast of England, for generations to come. Over the next decade, the sector’s ability to get water to the right place at the right time, will be a defining issue for the UK’s resilience. Delivering SRO projects efficiently is the most crucial challenge. It requires cross-sector working, meaningful knowledge-sharing, and impact-led collaboration.

“We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Thames Water on this new framework, where we will demonstrate our breadth of expertise in the sector in terms of delivering on all aspects of major infrastructure projects and working collaboratively to achieve delivery of the programme of SROs.

“We’re delighted that the AtkinsRéalis Stantec Joint Venture has been appointed to this Technical Partner Framework and we are looking forward to blending our unique expertise and resources to support these groundbreaking projects for the customers of Thames Water.”

Kate Kenny, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Jacobs said on behalf of Jacobs Mott MacDonald Joint Venture: “Together, Jacobs and Mott MacDonald bring our respective global capabilities in the development of large complex infrastructure projects and our extensive U.K. planning experience to the technical partner role. We look forward to working collaboratively with Thames Water to help solve some of the U.K.’s greatest water resources challenges in recent generations.”

If you have any further queries, please email SRO.supplychain@thameswater.co.uk.