Asset Inspection and Testing

Scottish Water provides drinking water to 2.46 million households and 150,000 business customers in Scotland. Every day it supplies 1.34 billion litres of drinking water and takes away 847 million litres of wastewater from customers' properties and treats it before returning it to the environment. We own a national network of impounding and service reservoirs, 30,311 miles of water pipes, 33,059 miles of Sewers, 239 water treatment works and 1827 wastewater Treatment Works that require us to invest in the region of £600M per year to maintain and enhance our services. To support our business, we require asset inspection and testing services suppliers who will help us provide innovative solutions for the capturing of information to help us manage our business and plan and deliver our Inspection Studies Programme. We envisage our survey partners will work with our Asset Planners, Asset Operations and Project Delivery Partners to provide a comprehensive suite of inspection and testing services.

To assist the role of supporting a flourishing Scotland, Scottish Waters has set out three strategic ambitions of; service excellence, beyond net zero emissions and great value & financial sustainability. Therefore, we are keen to explore all inspection and testing methodologies that can deliver its data requirements, especially if different techniques can provide our data requirements at a lower cost, less risk or reduce carbon footprint.

We currently use many common asset inspection techniques through our current suppliers. In our new Investment Planning period we are looking for suppliers to collaborate with us more closely in order to innovate across a wide range of techniques to capture, manipulate and store survey data.

Typical inspections are currently undertaken through visual and intrusive inspections which are compatible to use on live, in service assets which may contain potable water or wastewater, will produce a highly accurate output, and have no adverse Health and Safety concerns. Scottish Water is keen to explore techniques which will deliver accurate data on the conditions of our asset base with innovative methodologies where possible, such as remote inspections and reduced enabling activity.

Inspections are required to understand the condition of the asset base. Inspections will set a baseline to improve understanding of asset base condition against which future degradation and deterioration can be monitored when compared to data from future inspections. This knowledge will be used to assess asset risks and identify those with potential to impact on service to customers and assets which have a higher likelihood of failure. The output from inspections may include recommendations for interventions, which will be reviewed and prioritised. Inspection recommendations may also determine future inspection timescales in accordance with the relevant SPMA.

Scottish Water has a large asset base used to deliver services to customers which requires suppliers to provide project specific asset inspection and testing services for both above ground and underground assets.

Scottish Water may engage the Bidder in further discussions when there is a need for further evidence of suitability.

The total spend over the framework period for the inspection and studies programme is forecasted at £85 - £108 million. These figures are however subject to change as SW look to transform the current framework and drive innovation through new inspection techniques. Additional information: The PQQ documents can be also accessed by logging in through the Scottish Water Delta E-Sourcing webpage scottishwater.delta-esourcing.com ↗ and through the Response Manager section using the following Access Code:64736F2856