United Utilities has made a direct award for an AMP8 contract for Moving Bed Bio Reactor (MMBR) and Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) units worth an estimated £1.8 million.

The procurement covers the supply of three MBBR65 units, three D100 DAF Units, two Flow Split Chambers and one D/A/S Blower Skid.

The water company announced the contract award in September with 13 November named as the earliest date the contract, which will run to 12 October 2026, would be signed.

United Utilities has made the direct contract award without going out to competition to Monmouthshire-based firm Siltbuster Ltd.

The direct award has been made to a single supplier for technical reasons - under the Procurement Act 2023, a direct award is permissible for technical reasons in situations where a competitive tender would lead to disproportionate technical difficulties when operating or maintaining existing goods.

The MBBR systems are now in place and to maintain regulatory compliance they must remain operational.

To potentially change the supplier, resulting in the requirement to drain down the live assets and de-install would be increasing the likelihood of multiple sewage spills affecting the sites compliance and possibility of being classified as a failing works.

United Utilities said if the MBBR65 units are turned off site operations would be at significant risk of instability. “It is therefore unfeasible to remove the units, making it necessary to make the installation permanent”, the company explained.