OCU Group

Customer Focused Infrastructure Framework

Customer Focused Infrastructure Framework

Yorkshire Water’s £250 million Customer Focused Infrastructure Works Framework is a major capital investment programme aimed at enhancing the resilience of both clean water and wastewater assets, while delivering tangible benefits to domestic customers. As part of Yorkshire Water’s wider investment strategy, the framework encompasses lead replacement initiatives, network improvement works, and a range of customer-focused interventions designed to strengthen service reliability and improve overall operational performance. Delivery of the framework is being undertaken by six construction partners, working collaboratively to support long-term network resilience across the region.

OCU Group has supported Yorkshire Water’s Customer Focused Infrastructure Framework since 2020, delivering a broad programme of clean water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the region. Operating as a design and build partner, OCU delivers schemes aimed at improving network resilience, addressing operational challenges and enhancing customer outcomes. Over the past five years, OCU has established a strong foundation built on trust, performance and consistency, supported by a dedicated in-house design team and integrated delivery model.

The framework forms part of Yorkshire Water’s wider investment programme and includes lead replacement schemes, network improvement works and customer-focused interventions designed to improve service resilience and operational performance across the network.

Water mains renewal project

Integrated design & delivery

A key component of OCU’s approach is the integration of design and construction delivery within a single project team. Following appointment to the framework, OCU established a dedicated in-house design team co-located with operational teams at its Leeds depot, enabling close collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.

This design and build model allows schemes to progress efficiently from concept and planning through to construction and commissioning, improving programme certainty while maintaining flexibility to address a wide range of operational network challenges.

Programme delivery is supported through established project control systems, including Primavera P6, CEMAR and OCU’s bespoke platform OCU One, providing visibility of programme performance and supporting the successful delivery of multiple concurrent schemes across the region.

Street Lane & Foundry Lane Mains Replacement Schemes

Investment decisions across the framework are informed by asset condition, operational performance and customer impact. Areas experiencing recurring burst activity or water quality concerns are prioritised to ensure improvements deliver the greatest benefit for customers.

Recent mains renewal schemes at Street Lane and Foundry Lane in Leeds demonstrate how OCU is helping Yorkshire Water address historic burst trends and water quality challenges through targeted infrastructure investment. Together, the schemes involved the renewal of almost 8km of water mains, improving network performance and supporting better outcomes for customers.

Both the Street Lane and Foundry Lane schemes were developed in response to historic burst records and water quality issues affecting the local network. By renewing ageing infrastructure, the projects were designed to improve reliability, reduce future operational interventions and enhance service performance.

At Street Lane, OCU delivered approximately 4.5km of replacement water mains ranging from 90mm to 250mm in diameter, together with associated service transfers and customer connections. At nearby Foundry Lane, OCU delivered a further 3.4km of mains renewal, replacing assets ranging from 90mm to 180mm in diameter. Both schemes formed part of Yorkshire Water’s wider programme of network improvements and were delivered within established residential communities.

Managing delivery in urban environments

Delivering infrastructure upgrades within live urban environments requires careful planning, stakeholder engagement and coordination with multiple parties.

Across both schemes, OCU worked within residential areas requiring extensive traffic management measures, road closures and phased construction activities across carriageways, footpaths and verges. Early engagement with the local highway authority enabled construction sequencing to be agreed in advance, supporting efficient delivery throughout the programme.

Maintaining customer supplies was another key consideration. Detailed planning between OCU and Yorkshire Water operational teams ensured complex network shut offs could be undertaken safely and effectively, with many activities completed outside normal working hours to minimise disruption.

Existing underground utilities created additional constraints throughout the route. To safely expose and protect buried assets, OCU utilised HSG47-compliant hand digging techniques alongside vacuum excavation technology, reducing risk while maintaining progress on site.

The projects also required close liaison with local schools, councils and community stakeholders to ensure construction activities could be planned around key periods, helping minimise disruption while maintaining programme performance.

Outcomes & future resilience

Through proactive planning, close stakeholder engagement and an integrated design and delivery approach, both the Street Lane and Foundry Lane schemes were completed ahead of their beneficial completion dates while successfully meeting stakeholder requirements and programme objectives.

Most importantly, the completed works have addressed the underlying challenges that prompted the investment, helping improve water quality and network resilience for customers served by the area.

The scheme reflects the wider objectives of Yorkshire Water’s Customer Focused Infrastructure Framework, delivering targeted investment where it can provide the greatest benefit while improving the long-term performance of critical infrastructure assets.

Following consistent delivery across the framework, OCU continues to support Yorkshire Water’s investment plans into AMP8, helping deliver infrastructure improvements that strengthen network resilience, improve customer outcomes and support future network performance across Yorkshire’s water network.

For More Information, contact us at https://www.ocugroup.com