2 May 2012

The Costain delivery team handling the infrastructure framework contract with Northumbrian Water has won a significant contract to build a new duplicate raw water main from an existing intake point at Ovingham on the River Tyne, west of Newcastle, to Horsley WTW.

The new main will supplement the existing 35-year-old 1400mm diameter GRP main. It will be 1200mm diameter and constructed of ductile iron, each section being  8.1 metres in length.

The route of the new main will predominantly take it through farmland, crossing five existing strategic mains on the way, two of which the new main will tap into. This will give Northumbrian Water increased flexibility and security within its network with regards to the movement of raw water.

The rural nature of the job will make logistics – notably getting individual lengths of pipe-work, each weighing 4.1 tonnes, to the working site – challenging, says Costain Framework Manager, Ben McCormac. The Costain team and its suppliers will have to adhere strictly to the route to minimise disruption to farmland.

An important aspect of the project is that it is at the higher end of the value range of contracts the Company handles under this framework, which got underway in March 2011 and will last for four years, with the possibility of up to six further years in contract extensions.

The new contract is “A good boost for morale and a great opportunity to develop our relationship and demonstrate to the client what we’re capable of” says Ben.

Work on the new main is due to start in June and be completed in early 2013.

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