United Utilities has today announced its preferred bidder to design, build, finance and maintain the replacement of six tunnel sections of the Haweswater Aqueduct, part of its Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme or HARP.

Following a competitive tender process, the consortium identified as the preferred bidder to form the Competitively Appointed Provider (CAP) is STRABAG Equitix Consortium.

The original aqueduct, completed in the 1950s, supplies water from the Lake District to communities in Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Six tunnel sections along the 110km aqueduct route will be replaced, ensuring a resilient supply of quality drinking water for future generations.


At an estimated construction cost of around £2.5-2.9bn, HARP will be one of the largest water infrastructure projects undertaken in the North West.

This project is being delivered through a Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) model to ensure it provides the best value for customers. It is the first time such a model has been used in the UK water sector. The procurement process is now in its final stage of financial close, with contract award planned for the first half of 2025, subject to consent by water regulator Ofwat.