United Utilities has announced a new partnership with seven leading engineering and infrastructure businesses who will help deliver the largest investment in water and wastewater infrastructure in the North West in more than a century, if the company’s ambitious business plan is approved.
The company has submitted a £13.7 billion investment plan for 2025-2030 to economic regulator Ofwat that would deliver cleaner rivers, more reliable water supplies and improvements to services for customers, communities and the environment.
The investment would support 30,000 jobs, including 7,000 new jobs within the company and wider supply chain, bringing investment in skills and opportunities to the heart of local communities and contribute £35 billion of economic value across the region.
Following a competitive tender process, United Utilities has appointed the following seven companies as its AMP8 partners:
- C2V (a VolkerStevin/Jacobs joint venture),
- Costain
- Jacobs
- Murphy
- Kier Integrated Services
- Mott Macdonald Bentley
- MWH Treatment.
The utility said that bringing together skills and capabilities from across the UK and Europe allows it to access the best use of expertise and innovation to work collaboratively and at pace to deliver real transformation for customers and the environment in the North West.
The partnership would be responsible for over £3 billion of major infrastructure in the region, including upgrades to wastewater treatment works and reducing storm overflow activations by delivering the largest spill reduction programme in the UK, protecting more than 500km of rivers and bathing waters.
The partnership has committed to investment in the North West and will look to create a lasting legacy. As well as using large suppliers, the company is keen to tap into the local supply chain and will be announcing further appointments of more delivery partners in the coming months. This forms part of United Utilities’ strategy to support local businesses across the region.
Jane Simpson, Capital Delivery Director at United Utilities, said:
“We’re really excited that we have secured some strong delivery partners to ensure we can deliver on our ambitious plans to transform infrastructure and services in the North West.
“It will be our most ambitious programme yet and by putting this partnership in place with some of the best design and construction companies in the country, it allows us to get to work quickly and deliver the transformation that we know our customers want to see.”
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Barhale has completed work on two separate Rapid Action Taskforce Spills projects it is carrying out for Severn Trent.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.