Signing of framework agreement for renovation of wastewater treatment plants
Our management area has 15 sewage treatment plants (STPs) to clean the water for 1.2 million North Holland residents above the North Sea Canal. The WWTPs operate 24/7. To keep the WWTPs in good condition, maintenance, renovation, and replacement of installations are necessary. On Tuesday, December 16, the directors of the three selected contractors, Beentjes GWW, GMB, and Luttjeboer, signed the framework agreement with HHNK. The framework agreement has a term of four years with the option of two 24-month extensions. The maximum term is therefore eight years.
Framework agreement and term
We deliberately opted for a framework agreement with a term of more than 48 months. The nature and complexity of the projects, as well as new forms of collaboration within the projects, such as construction teams, require time to gain experience and to exchange and apply 'lessons learned'. This requires that parties be able to gain experience with multiple projects. It is important that knowledge is built up and shared so that projects can be carried out in an increasingly effective and efficient manner.
Many of the projects have a long lead time. It is desirable for the contractors in the framework agreement to all have the opportunity to carry out multiple projects. Opting for a longer term provides that opportunity. A certain degree of repetition of similar assignments also allows us, as HHNK, to benefit from this knowledge development. With a short-term agreement, there would be no learning effect. In addition, evaluations with contractors from other projects have shown that long-term agreements are desirable in order to be able to build and develop together.
Method and activities
HHNK conducts annual inspections at the wastewater treatment plants to gain a clear picture of the work or maintenance that needs to be carried out on each installation. Based on these inspections, decisions are made about which wastewater treatment plants will require parts to be overhauled or replaced in the coming years. The existing long-term asset management plan is also taken into account in this process.
Work covered by the framework agreement includes: advice, design, drawing up a work description, providing documentation and drawing packages. It may happen that work is requested that is not included in the assignment description but does fall within the nature of the assignment. This could include providing support with permit applications or other work necessary for the execution of the assignment or specific expertise for an assignment. In addition, it includes keeping up with social developments if HHNK chooses to do so, for example, digitization, implementation of BIM. It also includes developing and testing innovations with pilot projects.
First step in 2026
The projects for 2026 were recently discussed in a joint planning meeting. The first three assignments will be allocated via a mini-competition, with requests for proposals sent to the three contractors under the framework agreement. Agreements will also be made later regarding the other assignments that fall within the contract period.
