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Lithium Trace Testing

United Utilities Water Limited

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

20 Jul 2026 at 12:01

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

08 Apr 2026 at 15:02

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

20 Nov 2025 at 09:51

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

United Utilities Water Limited is procuring laboratory and specialist wastewater assessment services for its Bioresource and Energy Services team. The requirement covers non-intrusive capacity and sediment assessments of anaerobic digesters using lithium chloride as a tracer. The supplier must develop a rapid testing method to calculate each digester’s effective volume from lithium dosing, measured concentration and background concentration. Testing must establish mixing efficiency, hydraulic retention time, short-circuiting or dead zones, and sediment or grit accumulation. Lithium chloride will be dosed into the digester feed line or another suitable location, with baseline samples taken from designated sampling points identified during a pre-test site visit. Results must be provided in a report. Delivery is in the North West of England. The procurement is for services, classified under laboratory services.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through an open competitive flexible procedure, using a single-lot closed framework with direct allocation and one permitted participant. NSI Water and Wastewater Solutions Ltd was selected on 20 July 2026. The awarded value is £1,200,000 excluding VAT and £1,500,000 including VAT. The framework contract period is 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030, with an option to extend to a maximum end date of 31 August 2035. The award standstill period ends on 29 July 2026, and signature is scheduled for 17 August 2026. The original estimated value was £1,250,000 excluding VAT and £1,500,000 including VAT. Bids were evaluated on 40% commercial and 60% technical criteria. The requirement was suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

This award shows a defined, recurring need from a major water utility for specialist assessment of anaerobic digesters and their operating performance. A credible future competitor would need practical capability in lithium-tracer testing, laboratory sampling and analysis, and the development of rapid methods for determining effective tank volume. Experience interpreting tracer concentration data would be relevant, particularly where the work must identify mixing performance, hydraulic retention time, short-circuiting, dead zones and sediment or grit accumulation. Suppliers should also be able to plan pre-test site visits, work safely around digester feed systems, dose lithium chloride at suitable points, establish background concentrations and produce clear technical reports. The opportunity is structured as a single-supplier direct-allocation framework, so relevant firms would need capacity to support United Utilities’ requirements consistently across its anaerobic-digester estate.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Lithium Trace Testing

Notice Description

The Bioresource and Energy Services team require non-intrusive tank capacity and sediment assessments of Anaerobic Digesters using Lithium chloride as a trace element to comply with Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016 implementing the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) every 5 years, which takes an integrated approach to controlling pollution to air, water, and land from industrial activities. We require the supplier to develop methodology to determine the effective volume of an anaerobic digester over a short period of testing time. The effective volume should be calculated from the lithium concentration once it reaches a steady and consistent level. The calculation for effective volume should be based on the dose of lithium chloride added, the concentration of lithium, and the background concentration established before the test is initiated. The results of the data should establish the following, and be presented within a report: Mixing efficiency Hydraulic retention time (HRT) Short-circuiting or dead zones Sediment/grit accumulation The lithium chloride is to be dosed into each digester's feed line, or other suitable position. Prior to the dosing of lithium chloride, initial samples should be taken from each digester in order to establish the background lithium concentrations. Samples should be taken from designated sampling points, identified during a pre-test site visit.

Lot Information

Lot LOT-0000

Renewal: Extension of up to a further 5 years.

Planning Information

If you have experience in this area please could you provide at a minimum the following information and submit to the United Utilities AMP8Procurements@uuplc.co.uk Mailbox - • Company Name • Contact details, including location telephone and e-mail address, main point of contact and position in Company

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e500
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068170-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

71900000 - Laboratory services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,250,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£1,250,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£1,200,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
22 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
6 Jan 2026Expired
Award Date
20 Jul 20262 months ago
Contract Period
1 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
United Utilities Water Limited
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
WARRINGTON
Postcode
WA5 3LP
Postcode Area
Warrington
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD61 Warrington
Delivery Location
TLD North West (England)
Local Authority
Warrington
Electoral Ward
Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall
Westminster Constituency
Warrington South

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

NSI Water and Wastewater Solutions Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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