PRO004076-Services-Framework-Water Resources and Drought Modelling

Tender description

As evident from its latest Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP19) and Drought Plan, UUW now employs a very wide range of tools and techniques for water resources modelling and decision making support. Aquator™ continues to be UUW’s water resources modelling software package. It is used extensively for water resources and drought planning, and for a range of other business activities. UUW currently has three water resource-zone level models (not all resource zones are modelled), as well as a range of sub-resource zone level models. The Strategic Resource Zone, which is the name for the combined Integrated Resource Zone and West Cumbria Resource Zone from 2023, will be one of the largest conjunctive supply systems in Europe. As has always been the case, Aquator™ is supported by a range of other models and analysis to create input data. For example, the rainfall-runoff model Catchmod is used for inflows generation and climate change assessment. However, UUW has recently expanded into a number of new areas, and for WRMP19 has employed stochastic hydrology and decision making techniques such as robust decision making (RDM) and scenario simulation. This has necessitated the development of new faster running water resources models for system emulation. This work is aligned to UKWIR’s 2016 Decision Making and Risk Based Planning frameworks. Efficiency and cost saving are prominent business drivers and UUW continues to explore the use of water resources models and techniques such as genetic algorithms to optimise the supply system, through the development of operating rules, drought triggers etc. The Company is seeking to award Framework Agreements to a maximum of 3 suppliers that can provide these Services.