United Living Infrastructure Services (ULIS) has been awarded a further contract with Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) for construction and engineering works worth approximately £18m a year.

The four-year contract has an option for a further four years and will see ULIS continue its partnership with NWG which began in 2005 (under its previous name Fastflow). 

The extra work means that ULIS will be creating 20 additional places on its Water Network Operative Apprenticeship programme.

John Farrell, managing director of United Living Infrastructure Services, said: “We are delighted to continue to work in partnership with Northumbrian Water to support their network in the north-east.  

“This contract win demonstrates not only the hard work of the United Living team, but also the strength and depth of our relationship with our valued customer, Northumbrian Water Group. We will work closely alongside each other to deliver an excellent level of service to local consumers. 

“United Living has worked collaboratively with Northumbrian Water for almost 20 years, and we are looking forward to maintaining this working relationship, focusing on our combined safety culture, quality customer care, and environmental and social values.”

ULIS will continue to deliver network improvements, such as mains replacement, lead replacement and connections for new housing and industrial developments; and repairs and maintenance, working in partnership with NWG to ensure the resilience of the network into the AMP8 regulatory period. 

In addition, ULIS will now undertake backfill and reinstatement following maintenance work, and will be one of three suppliers who will undertake repairs resulting from mains failures.

A spokesperson for Northumbrian Water Group said: “NWG conducted an extensive tender exercise to establish the key partners who could help us to deliver the outcomes required for our customers, now and through the duration of AMP8. United Living has demonstrated the depth of understanding of these requirements by drawing upon 20 years of working collaboratively and harnessing its local knowledge and workforce.”