News

The £350m public sector water and waste water supply contract in Scotland delayed

Author: Graham Mann, Water Audit Expert.

Business Stream the existing water and waste water supply company to the public sector in Scotland have been granted a 3 month extension until June 30th 2015 as Alison Johnstone of the Scottish Green Party filed a motion in the Scottish Parliament stating “Parliament is appalled by reports that the Scottish Ministers promises to retain Scottish water in public hands and a public sector success story may be undermined by awarding a £350m water and waste water supply contract to a private English water company Anglian Water”

Business Stream stands to lose some 25% of its revenue so it is understandable the business is sore about the potential loss. However the reason for the re-tender is to ensure the Public Sector obtain the best price and best value after all we are talking about public money here. Now Scottish politics is creeping into a free competitive water retail market which is not good for the competitive water retail market or good for the Public Sector expenditure in Scotland.

As a Water Audit Expert with over 25 years experience within the water industry I have studied in great detail the Scottish water retail market and I can state quite categorically state that if the project was re-tendered I could almost guarantee advising the Scottish Procurement Office a far batter way of obtaining the very best price and value deal whilst maintaining the business within Scotland that would satisfy the Scottish Parliament and certainly the Public Sector organisation, as the costs for water and waste water supplies across a large section of the public sector bodies would be the lowest possible. However it is too late this time around but come the review in 3 years I will do my upmost to ensure the Scottish Public Sector get a far better deal than they have right now.