Estuarine Water Quality and Sediment sampling for Nutrient Investigations in Transitional and Coastal Waters

Under the Habitat Directive (HD), and in association with the Chemical Investigations Programme 4 (CIP4), Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) drivers, Anglian Water is required to investigate the impacts of nutrients from its operations on receiving transitional and coastal (TraC) waterbodies and protected areas. Estuarine sampling is required at three target estuaries within the scope of the investigation (Wash, Stour and Orwell, Blackwater).

These sample events should include:

• Routine water quality and sediment sampling, in order to collect water quality and supporting data over the annual cycle.
• Tidal vertical profile surveys, in order to collect water quality and supporting data across a tidal cycle.
• Long-term (30-day) temperature/salinity sonde deployments.

Supplier will be expected to undertake / provide the following:

• Estuary water quality sampling (monthly), to provide data across an annual cycle (12 months)
• Estuary sediment sampling (monthly), to provide data across an annual cycle (12 months)
• Estuary tidal profile sampling (four per sampling location), to provide data across a tidal cycle
• Effective sample transportation for laboratory analysis within specified stability requirements.
• Conductivity, Temperature, Depth Profile (CTD) to provide temperature/salinity data, including measurement of local turbidity, during all sampling events.
• Temperature and salinity sonde deployment (30-day) at fixed locations.
• Provision of quality assured data (where appropriate) and survey reporting at critical milestones.

Critical Dates for delivery of the Project (based on current assumptions and may be adjusted as needed)

a) Project Plan agreed and sampling programme commencement date to be confirmed

c) By 30th September 2025 - confirmation of successful first sampling event and transport to analytical laboratory

d) Monthly thereafter - client progress meetings and confirmation of performance management measures to ensure programme is met

e) By 31st March 2026 - provision of interim survey report and quality assured dataset for initial 6 months of the sampling programme

f) By 30th April 2026 - support Anglian Water with achieving regulatory approval for model development phase by provision of any supplementary information relating to the sampling programme

g) By 30th September 2026 - provision of final survey report and associated quality assured dataset for 12 months of the sampling programme.

h) All Services completed by 1 October 2026