United Utilities has issued a Periodic Indicative Notice seeking supply chain input on potential supply revenue collection options for standpipes.

Water companies have a regulatory obligation to ensure the supply of clean water and must have a process in place to manage appropriate network abstraction. They also have a duty to manage misuse under the Water Industry Act.

United Utilities currently offer a comprehensive standpipe hire service for businesses which may sometimes require an additional water supply outside of normal supply arrangements. The freestanding pipes are fitted with a tap and can be attached to a hydrant to provide a water supply where there isn’t currently one available - for example a construction site.

The utility currently manages this service on an in-house basis but is now looking to engage with a partner organisation to deliver the services on its behalf.

The partner would hire the standpipes to customers and be responsible for the recovery of water revenue which would then be passed to the water company.

United Utilities has issued a Periodic Indicative Notice in order to engage with the supply chain and is seeking information from interested suppliers about the existing solutions available in the market for the following specific services:

• Provide live system access to see usage in progress.
• System support/training to support usage.
• Custom reports as required.
• All invoices and debt collection to be handled directly between the partner and customer – with United Utilities to receive volumetric payments directly from the third party.
• Delivery/collection service for standpipe hire/off-hire/exchanges within defined SLAs/KPI’s.
• Defined SLAs/KPI’s for customer service
• Management of transition to new equipment for all existing customers.
• Adherence to KPIs negotiated annually.
• Annual price review in line with regulatory wholesale published charging requirements.
• Active policing of water network illegal usage to provide United Utilities with appropriate evidence for legal processes to be followed.

The water company expects to go out to tender with a formal contract notice at the end of September – click here to access the PIN documentation