Contract award: Independent Technical Assessor for Thames Tideway Tunnel Project

Thames Water Utilities Limited (“Thames Water”) has procured Independent Technical Assessor (“ITA”) Services for the Thames Tideway Tunnel Project (“the Project”) on behalf of itself, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (“Secretary of State”), the Water Services Regulation Authority (“Regulator”) and Bazalgette Tunnel Limited (who has been independently procured as the Infrastructure Provider for the delivery of the Project (“IP”). The contract is for an Initial Term (Initial ITA Term) of four years with an option to extend for up to three further periods each of four years (Additional ITA Term) making a total possible aggregate term of sixteen years.

This procurement is part of a series of procurements in relation to the Project which will modernise London’s sewerage system, delivering environmental and economic benefits to the UK’s capital for generations. Amajor new sewer, the “Thames Tideway Tunnel”, is urgently needed to provide the necessary additional sewer capacity to protect the River Thames from increasing pollution.

It will help tackle the problem of the capital’s Victorian sewers overflowing into the River Thames and enable the UK to meet European environmental standards. The Thames Tideway Tunnel will run to approximately 25 km long and up to 70 m deep underground (requiring excavation), broadly following the River Thames and will connect with Thames Water’s existing sewer network.

Project oversight is to be maintained by establishing a Liaison Committee comprising representatives appointed by each of the Secretary of State, Thames Water and the IP. This Liaison Committee is governed by the Liaison Agreement entered into by all three parties.

The size, complexity and risk of the Project is such that the Liaison Agreement requires that an Independent Technical Assessor (ITA) is appointed. The detailed Services are described in the ITA Deed and were described in the procurement documents but the overarching role and purpose of the ITA is to objectively and independently review, evaluate, comment, verify and advise the parties to the Liaison Agreement and the Regulator on the IP and Thames Water’s assessment of ongoing Project performance and delivery.

The ITA will advise and have a duty of care to the Regulator and the parties to the Liaison Agreement. These obligations and the nature of the duty of care are as set out in the ITA Deed which has been entered into between the ITA, the three parties to the Liaison Agreement and the Regulator. The ITA Deed was entered into on award of the Project Licence to Bazalgette Tunnel Limited on 24 August 2015.