Conrad Hall, Director of Resources for the London Borough of Newham, approved the reprocurement of water, wastewater, and ancillary services for the council's estate. This decision ensures the continuation of these essential services through the existing supplier, Wave, for a further 12 months, utilising the YPO Water Framework.

LBN Water, Wastewater and Ancillary Services Procurement 2024 - 2025

The Director of Resources, Conrad Hall, approved the reprocurement of water, wastewater, and ancillary services for the London Borough of Newham. The decision was made to continue services with the current supplier, Wave, for a 12-month period, utilising the YPO Water Framework YPO1181. This approach bypasses the need for a new competitive tendering process, ensuring a seamless continuation of services and leveraging pre-negotiated competitive rates.

The report highlighted that the existing contract with Wave was nearing its expiration in October 2024. The YPO framework is a pre-tendered procurement route that allows for direct award to suppliers who have met stringent requirements. Wave has been identified as the sole supplier under this framework for water and wastewater services.

Key advantages of this reprocurement strategy include:

• Continuity of Service: Ensuring uninterrupted service delivery by continuing with the incumbent supplier, who has existing knowledge of the borough's infrastructure.
• Cost Efficiency: The YPO framework offers competitive pricing, with immediate benefits including savings of over £19,701 compared to default rates.
• Active Water Management: The contract includes an Active Water Management service, which monitors consumption and has the potential to reduce water usage by up to 10% at no additional cost. This aligns with the council's priorities for sustainability and resource management.
• Compliance and Risk Management: Utilising the YPO framework ensures full compliance with public procurement regulations, mitigating legal and operational risks.
• Time Savings: Direct award under the framework eliminates the time and resource-intensive process of a competitive tender.

The decision supports the council's commitment to maintaining essential services across its entire estate portfolio and advancing strategic goals of financial prudence and environmental stewardship. No alternative options were considered as the direct award framework was deemed the most efficient and effective route. The financial implications are positive, securing value for money and providing solutions for reducing water-related expenditures. Legally, the use of the YPO framework ensures compliance with procurement regulations. There are no significant equalities implications anticipated from this routine utilities contract. Property implications include ensuring all council-owned sites are properly serviced and collaborating with Wave on identified inefficiencies within buildings.

The decision was recorded in the Officer Decision Record - Water Waste Water and Ancillary Services Oct 24.