Supplying us
Working with the best suppliers is vital to ensure we improve our performance and provide a better service to customers.
We work with our suppliers to find new ways of working and to innovate in the way we do things and the products and techniques we use.
Supplier qualification
Our procurement team are responsible for sourcing suppliers and use the Utilities Vendor Database (UVDB) operated by Achilles Information Limited for all supplies and service contracts with a threshold value of £313,694 and above and for Works contracts with thresholds of £3,927,260 or above. The administration costs of the UVDB are met by utilities and suppliers, with suppliers contributing £510.00 (+VAT for UK) each. If you're already registered on the UVDB then you don't need to re-apply but may wish to ensure you're registered under all relevant product categories. If you're not registered on the UVDB you may wish to consider applying to ensure you don't miss opportunities with us or other subscribing utility companies. For more information visit the
Achilles website.
Our environmental commitment
We consider the environmental impact of the products and services we purchase and work with suppliers to encourage continuous improvement. When evaluating suppliers we consider areas such as energy, efficiency, life cycle, recycling and environmental management policies and plans. Examples of our environmental commitment in practice include:
- Whole life costing (WLC) - we purchased pumps after taking into account energy efficiency, ensuring we sourced the best product at the lowest whole life cost.
- Procurement of aggregate materials - we use up to 80% recycled aggregate in a repair and maintenance contract to support reduction, re-use and recycling.
- Use of fertiliser/topsoil substitute - we treat most of our sludge so that it can be applied to land as an alternative to traditional fertiliser.
- EURO 4 Fleet - our vehicle fleet is largely compliant to the Euro 4 standard which reduces the impact of our vehicles on the environment
- Our offices - our state of the art Midway building is a good example of functional design at minimal environmental impact. All lights are controlled via sensors and our colleagues are keen to help by recycling paper, cardboard and printer cartridges.
