Credit: Southern Water
Southern Water has launched procurement for a major pipeline scheme between Winchester and Andover, valued at £84m including VAT.
The Andover Link Main (ALM) forms part of the firm’s Water Resources Management Plan.
The project involves construction of a 25km below-ground bi-directional pipeline and new and upgraded booster stations, Southern Water said today (2 September) in a planned procurement notice.
It is designed to deliver 15 megalitres per day by March 2030, improving resilience for the Andover Water Resource Zone.
Southern Water will appoint a single principal contractor to design and build the scheme. The contractor will also support planning condition discharges and environmental permitting, with specialist works subcontracted.
The contract will be awarded through a competitive flexible procedure. Requests to participate must be submitted by 27 October, with an invitation to tender due on 26 September.
A preferred bidder is expected to be named by April 2026. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026 and complete by January 2030.
The target cost will be based on an activity schedule. Quality and cost will each account for 50 per cent of the award criteria.
Quality will be assessed against methodology, programme, cost management, stakeholder engagement, digital delivery, team structure, and use of local skills and employment.
The ALM aims to protect the River Test and River Itchen, where abstraction licences have been reduced by the Environment Agency under Section 20 of the Water Resources Act 1991.
Both rivers are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest, with the Itchen also classified as a Special Area of Conservation.
Read More
Ben Vogel