Severn Trent Water is looking to suppliers for solutions to monitor the structural health of its wastewater assets to identify and address potential problems within its wastewater network.

The water company wants to improve its ability to monitor structural health of its wastewater assets to identify and address potential problems within its wastewater network. Failure to do this could otherwise result in asset failure and lead to further problems such as pollution/sewer flooding.

Part of the solution to achieving its goal is to measure the stress on the asset to accurately ascertain its useful remaining life. By measuring structural fatigue, Severn Trent it would like to move into a proactive space for asset repair/replacement without causing disruption through asset failure.

The utility is now seeking suppliers with the required technical capabilities via a ‘non-call for competition’ for rising sewer mains fatigue data loggers.

Severn Trent would like to engage with multiple industries to identify potential suppliers who can provide technology that can digitise the surface fatigue of existing rising mains in order to transmit real time asset condition report and predict potential failure using modelling and AI software.

The solution must be strictly non-intrusive and easy to install, i.e. digitise the mains by retrofitting, non-invasively. Currently, the water company does not have a similar solution within the business and is looking to trial solutions that will deliver the desired outcomes.

Severn Trent is looking for a sensor device that is capable of being rolled out with relative ease across prioritised sites — high risk associated for permanent monitoring — within the network which can work in conjunction with data loggers to create a holistic landscape of asset health.

It will look to run a Proof of Concept (PoC) trial by deploying ‘fit for purpose’ devices into operational waste rising waste mains, for a minimum of at least 3 months.

Severn Trent said the successful solution will need to meet the technical challenges of producing a sensor with the necessary capabilities at a price point that justifies the business case for a potential large scale deployment.

The company expects to issue a contract notice at the end of 2020 – click here to access the Prior Information Notice.