Water Quality (Legionella) servicing and maintenance

Following publication of our Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice (VEAT) Notice indicates that Southampton City Council (the Council) a Contracting Authority, intends to directly award a Public Contract under Regulation 32(b)(ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, for the provision of water quality monitoring and analytical services for a proposed transitional period of 24 months.

The provisions of Regulation 32(b)(ii) are being followed by the Council in circumstances where the Council, a duty holder under the applicable health and safety legislation and the Approved Code of Practice and guidance, requires a continuity of the existing water quality monitoring and analytical services provided by the incumbent to cover a transitional period. Where the Council does not implement suitable and sufficient arrangements to ensure the continuity of the services, the Council foresees that risks associated with the proliferation of legionella bacteria in the Council's building assets may increase.

The Council has published its tender for the water quality monitoring and analytical services and a mechanical and electrical asset lifecycle condition surveying contract. Upon the conclusion of the Council's tender, the Council shall award a contract to a capable supplier of these services. And the Council, to ensure continuity of services during the mobilisation phase of the new contract (the transitional period), requires the incumbent to continue to implement legionella prevention control measures in accordance with the incumbent's existing recommendations where these have been set out in the incumbent's water quality risk assessments.

Whilst the Council proposes to retain the services of the incumbent during the transitional period, the Council shall not instruct the incumbent to carry any new water quality risk assessments, and accordingly, the volume of the existing water quality control measures the incumbent shall carry out shall dimmish during the transitional period as the new supplier mobilises to increase the carrying out of new water quality risk assessments and mechanical and electrical asset condition surveys in accordance with the Council's requirements. At the end of the mobilisation phase as provided for, the new supplier shall be carrying out water quality risk assessments and implementing control measures in connection with all of the Council's building assets.