All Projects On Time And On Budget
2 June 2010
The recent round of Asset Management Plan (AMP 5) awards
from regional water companies has brought further success for
Costain in Wales with a new contract from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
(DCWW).
Having successfully completed the five-year AMP 4 contract worth
almost £70million, Water Sector Director North, Phil Appleby, feels
justified in saying: "We've got a satisfied customer.
"We've had more than 150 individual projects delivered to time
and within target price."
Typical contracts have included a series of improvements to
Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) and Combined Sewer Overflows
(CSOs) to improve the quality of outflows to watercourses and the
sea and thus assist DCWW in meeting its regulatory obligations.
A significant element of the programme has been flooding
projects, where relief has been provided to properties that have
previously suffered internal and external flooding from foul water
and sewage. These projects have relieved almost 800 properties from
the prospect of future flooding damage.
Another project that required particularly sensitive handling
was improving an existing Water Treatment Works (WTW) at Mynydd
Llandegai in the Snowdonia National Park. Situated within a Site of
Special Scientific Interest, the buildings required extensive
cladding in local stone to blend in to the landscape and match
existing features.
The new AMP 5 framework contract, which is likely to see Costain
undertaking individual projects worth anything from £50,000 to
£8million, is likely to have a roughly similar overall value over
the next five years, says Phil.
Although work has so far been primarily in North Wales, there is
the chance that this will be extended to the south of the
Principality, he adds.
John Madden, Framework Director for Costain at DCWW, is
particularly proud of the Costain team's Health & Safety record
that has maintained an Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) of zero for
more than 3.25 years.
John also highlights a £3.5million project to create a new WwTW
at Amlwch, on Anglesey, which, driven by legislative deadline, was
due to complete on the last day of 2008 but, due to circumstances
outside Costain's control, only got underway in March of that
year.
What should have been a 15-month project was nevertheless
brought in on the original deadline, after what John describes as
particularly close working with Costain's supply chain and other
DCWW partners.
AMP 5 is likely to be more focused on maintenance projects than
its predecessor, he adds. "Most of the big new works are now built;
AMP 5 will be very much a maintenance AMP to ensure facilities
continue to comply with standards.
"We've commenced design on a project due to start on site in the
autumn at Five Fords near Wrexham. This will be an extension to a
WwTW, the largest in North Wales, which will involve building a new
advanced digestion plant, phosphorous removal and sludge treatment
capacity, both to comply with current legislation and to ease the
problems of sludge handling in North Wales.
"A feature of this project is the heat and power that the
process will generate from the sewage will be utilised to reduce
DCWW's electricity demands at Five Fords. The project is due to
complete towards the end of 2011 and will be worth around £8million
to Costain."
Another 2011 project will involve the creation of a service
reservoir for DCWW near Conwy in North Wales.
John sees the retention of the Costain team in North Wales for
AMP 5 as vindication by DCWW of its satisfaction with the quality
of delivery in AMP 4 by Costain. "We hope and expect to improve our
performance for DCWW in AMP 5 and therefore look to prolong our
relationship with DCWW into AMP 6 and beyond."