Overview
In October 2025 Network Plus is contracted by United Utilities to upgrade 65km of water mains by March 2026. By 31 March more than 100km of water mains are upgraded – far exceeding the client’s expectations and significantly outperforming another delivery partner. This programme showcases one of Network Plus’s core strengths: the capability to deliver high‑pressure, time‑critical infrastructure programmes with confidence and consistency.
Key challenges
- Programme demands immediate structure, technical capability and agile delivery model
- Fixed, tight regulatory timescales in place
- Convert our client’s modelling reports into fully workable, network‑approved designs. At pace.
- Rapid mobilisation: Building a functioning delivery organisation from a standing start
Our approach
- Work with our client to understand the challenge and the resources needed
- Rapidly assemble a team capable of meeting client expectations, drawing on talent from across our business
- Develop a fully integrated programme to align design, permitting and construction activities, ensuring delivery could begin on schedule
- Accelerate design capability: transition modelling reports into approved designs at speed
- Highway authority engagement: early coordination to secure street works notices and traffic management approvals
Watch the video below to join Operations Manager Brendan Meanwell and Site Manager Charlotte Robinson for an insight into the North West Mains Rehab Project in partnership with United Utilities.
- Collaborative utility planning: aligning works with Cadent Gas and Electricity Northwest to avoid delays
- Supply chain activation: leverage long standing relationships to secure plant, materials and delivery teams for an October start
- Build operational capacity from 19 teams by late 2025 to 32 fully operational teams by January 2026
Outcomes
Our ability to mobilise quickly, integrate complex technical requirements and scale operational delivery at pace has ensured United Utilities not only meets but significantly exceeds its regulatory commitments. Our mix of skills and expertise meant that we were working across both water (UU) and gas (Cadent) to deliver dual schemes i.e. one excavation/two services at the same time.
This contract has been a great example of collaboration done in the right way – not only across Network Plus, but with our clients and supply chain partners as well. The result? Disruption is reduced significantly for our customers.
