Seven firms confirmed in May 2026 will deliver a third of Scottish Water's investment for 2027–33 through Delivery Vehicle 4, an "Enterprise" the utility valued at between £5 billion and £9 billion when it launched the procurement in November 2024.
Who holds the work
Stantec and Aecom are the primary designers. M Group Water, Mott MacDonald Bentley, Farrans, WGM Engineering and Ross-Shire Engineering are the asset delivery partners. Delivery starts in April 2027 and runs to 2033, with a potential six-year extension. Alongside it, the seven-firm DV2, appointed in 2021 for six years with an option of six more, covers repair, refurbishment and replacement work.
How big the programme could be
Scottish Water's final business plan, submitted in February 2026, proposes £8.1 billion of investment. The regulator's June 2026 draft supports £7,946 million in 2024-25 prices, of which £4,926 million is for asset maintenance and £2,867 million for enhancement and growth. The Final Determination is due on 12 November 2026.
The work ahead across the programme
Scottish Water replaced 0.11% of its water mains a year over 2021–27 and proposes 0.41% for 2027–33. It plans to deliver 97 overflow improvements by December 2027, 60 of them from its original list of 108 high-priority sites. Leakage was 453 Ml/d in FY 2025/26.
A tight budget backdrop
A trade summary of the FY 2025/26 annual report states that management paused several projects to stay within spending limits. The regulator forecasts 2021–27 capital expenditure around £400 million below the original plan, in 2017-18 prices.
How suppliers outside DV4 can reach this work, which frameworks are open now, and what to watch after 12 November are among the questions the full brief answers. The full report, Scottish Water: Utility Account Brief, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Scottish Water Utility Snapshot.