United Living snaps up £72m water construction job

United Living has been appointed by Northumbrian Water to deliver £72m worth of network improvements over four years.

The contractor’s infrastructure subsidiary, United Living Infrastructure Services, will deliver a package of work including mains replacement, lead replacement and establishing connections for new housing and industrial developments.

United Living will also deliver repair and maintenance work for the client, while taking on backfill and reinstatement following maintenance work. It is United Living’s latest in a succession of contracts secured with Northumbrian Water, stretching back to 2005.

The contract has an option for an additional four years, which would double the value of the framework. United Living said the backfill and reinstatement work, which it did not do in previous jobs, will mean it can create 20 additional places on its apprenticeship programme for water-network operatives.

United Living Infrastructure Services managing director John Farrell said: “This contract-win demonstrates not only the hard work of the United Living team, but also the strength and depth of our relationship with our valued customer, Northumbrian Water Group.

“United Living has worked collaboratively with Northumbrian Water for almost 20 years and we are looking forward to maintaining this working relationship, focusing on our combined safety culture, quality customer care, and environmental and social values.”

United Living’s new water contract comes days after Galliford Try was named on a £600m framework for Southern Water under the AMP8 asset management plan from 2025-2030.

Work under that framework could include capital asset maintenance schemes, support and delivery of new-build installations and environmental improvement programmes.

Galliford Try may also improve assets including pumping stations and water, wastewater and sludge process works.

The contractor is joined on that job by Walsall-based Barhale, Irish contractor Ward & Burke Construction and Bath-based Bridges Electrical Engineers.

A joint venture was also named on the framework, comprising Redhill-headquartered civil engineering company Binnies and Scottish engineering firm WGM Engineering.