Strengthening partnerships through in-house design and programme certainty
OCU’s work with Yorkshire Water continues to gather strong momentum, marking a successful transition from early framework mobilisation to confident, large-scale delivery. Since entering the Yorkshire region in 2020 as a new water delivery contractor, the teams have established a strong foundation built on trust, performance and consistency, supporting the current AMP period and future programmes.
Appointed under Yorkshire Water’s Clean and Waste Infrastructure and Customer Focussed Infrastructure Frameworks, OCU has already supported the delivery of a broad programme of works as part of the client’s £650 million AMP7 investment. These frameworks cover essential clean and wastewater assets, including lead replacement, minor capital works and internal flooding mitigation schemes, all delivered against tight regulatory timescales set by Ofwat.
Establishing a strong regional presence
Entering a new region brought its own challenges. As a newly appointed framework partner, OCU Group needed to demonstrate value quickly while meeting demanding programme requirements and maintaining customer outcomes. A key part of this early success was the creation of a dedicated in-house design team, co-located with operational teams at OCU’s Leeds depot.
This integrated model has enabled seamless progression from planning through to delivery. Combined with OCU’s existing regional presence through their work with Northern Powergrid, this approach allowed their teams to embed rapidly within Yorkshire’s utilities sector and build strong working relationships across the framework.
Delivering certainty at scale
Programme certainty underpins OCU’s delivery approach. Robust project control systems, including Primavera P6, CEMAR and the bespoke ‘OCU One’ platform, are used across the frameworks to drive efficiency and provide confidence in performance.
In the first year of AMP8 alone, OCU has been awarded 15 schemes. Delivery during year one is forecast to total around 27km of new mains, representing the highest annual output achieved by OCU in Yorkshire across the last two AMP periods combined.
This programme has been delivered using 16 dedicated delivery teams, supported by five specialist subcontractors, demonstrating OCU’s ability to scale resource effectively while maintaining quality and consistency.
A strong start to AMP8
OCU’s success in Yorkshire continues to build, underpinned by quality delivery and trusted relationships. Following consistent performance across AMP7, OCU secured a four-year extension into AMP8 with Yorkshire Water, providing strong forward visibility and confidence in the partnership.
As activity scales into AMP8, year two output is forecast to reach approximately 75km, with additional resource being engaged to support the increased workload. This programme will be delivered through a combination of open-cut installation and trenchless techniques, with OCU’s HDD teams contributing around 46km of the overall target.
Visibility into year three is also developing, with a further 27km of works currently programmed, reinforcing the strength of OCU’s forward workload and long-term commitment to the region.
All works continue to be delivered through OCU’s in-house design-and-build capability, ensuring greater control, efficiency and flexibility as programmes scale up.
Looking ahead
OCU’s partnership with Yorkshire Water continues to strengthen as we move further into AMP8. With strong early performance, clear visibility across the next two to three years and an established regional team, we are well positioned to support Yorkshire Water’s investment plans.
By combining integrated design, experienced delivery teams and robust programme controls, OCU remains focused on delivering reliable, customer-focused infrastructure, supporting communities across Yorkshire while building long-term value for our client.
About OCU Group
OCU is leading the way in energy transition and utilities contracting as an innovative service provider, operating on a national scale.
Our two decades of experience in the water industry has built a reputation for delivering the full spectrum of water and wastewater treatment projects, with turnkey solutions for design, installation and commissioning.
Our regular, reactive and emergency support is relied upon by a broad range of water companies all over the UK, with an efficient, effective and environmentally friendly water and wastewater service.
The Group delivers a wide range of client focused business solutions, working with a large blue-chip client base in all utility areas including Water, Power, Energy, Telecoms, Rail and Directional Drilling.
