en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 6, UK-based Kier Group disclosed that it has been appointed by Thames Water to undertake pre-construction contractor involvement work for the Maple Lodge Wastewater Treatment Works upgrade, with a contract value of £8.7 million. The initial target cost of the overall project exceeds £265 million, and Kier has mobilised on site to carry out design development, delivery risk management, and construction planning.

The treatment works serves approximately 500,000 people. The upgrade will be delivered while the facility remains in continuous operation, primarily to expand wastewater treatment capacity and stormwater storage, as well as to renew the site's treatment, electrical, and automated control systems.

The scope of works includes refurbishing the inlet facilities, screening systems, primary sedimentation tanks, and biological treatment systems, along with constructing new stormwater storage tanks, a river outfall, and activated sludge treatment facilities. The project will also deliver eight final settling tanks with a diameter of 28 metres, two tertiary solids removal units, and a chemical dosing system, while upgrading the high- and low-voltage power distribution network, the site's supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, and standby power generation facilities.

The project was awarded on February 17, with Kier Infrastructure and Overseas Limited confirmed as the contractor. The procurement documents list the project's estimated value range as £140 million to £280 million, with the contract scheduled to be signed on March 31 and the delivery period running from April 1, 2026, to March 29, 2030.

This £8.7 million pre-construction phase will be used to refine the design, define the scope of works, and arrange subsequent construction. During the construction period, the existing wastewater treatment system will remain operational, and the new facilities will need to be connected and commissioned in phases with the existing process systems.