In a market engagement notice of 3 July 2026, Wessex Water put the estimated capital value of a new 30 Ml/d water recycling centre at Corfe Mullen at c.£287m. It plans to hand the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance to a Competitively Appointed Provider.
What is planned
The Poole Water Recycling and Transfer project would move flows from the existing Poole water recycling centre to the new Corfe Mullen site, with new wetlands and discharge pipelines. It is planned under Direct Procurement for Customers. The July 2026 notice is not a call for competition: it lists a webinar in July 2026 and an engagement event in Poole in autumn 2026, followed by bilateral meetings.
Most other work is already placed
Wessex Water named its capital delivery partners in September 2024 across four lots: design and build, design consultancy, mechanical and electrical, and civils. Those frameworks can run for up to 11 years. A mechanical and electrical minor works framework followed in May 2025 with 45 firms in three lots, and award notices under the civils minor works framework continued to 9 October 2026.
The pressures behind the spending
Total pollution incidents were 46.93 per 10,000 km of sewer in 2025, against a target of 25.02, and the company's drainage plan counts 1,300 storm overflows. Leakage rose to 76.98 Ml/d in 2025-26, and a company-wide hosepipe ban has applied since 18 August 2026.
The money
Ofwat's 2025-30 determination set a totex allowance of £4.3 billion. The Competition and Markets Authority later set allowed revenue at £3,734 million in 2022-23 prices, on 10 March 2026.
Which suppliers already hold Wessex Water's frameworks, how to register for its qualification system, and which pressures are most likely to create new purchasing are set out in the full brief. The full report, Wessex Water: Utility Account Brief, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Wessex Water Utility Snapshot.