Potential opportunities for the UK construction industry in the water sector

Many construction industry leaders agree that falling workload, government spending cuts, sustainability issues, increasing energy and resources costs, and decreased capital availability, pose profound strategic challenges for the construction industry in the UK and beyond. However, desperate need for infrastructure development has increased demand for the UK construction industry. The UK water-related infrastructure sector is projected to attract investment worth £4.5bn per annum over the next ten years. Therefore, this sector will become vital to the construction industry over the next decade or so. It is, therefore important to explore the key opportunities available for the UK construction industry in the water-related infrastructure development. This paper is based on review and synthesis of literature, presents the outlook of the UK water industry, key characteristics of the water-related infrastructure, opportunities for the construction industry in the water-related infrastructure and water-related infrastructure procurement methods. It is concluded that it is inevitable that the UK construction industry will see reduced workload arising from the recession and capital spending cuts. However, the need to spend on infrastructure creates opportunities for the industry. The construction industry needs to step forward and develop solutions with the public sector and create new physical infrastructure procurement models that will underpin mutual goals.