Winter Gritting

Scope of Works - Southern Water is seeking a supplier for winter gritting services across the whole of its region - Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Isle of Wight. The supplier must be able to deliver a flexible service across operational sites whilst also having the ability to cover reactive requests for leaks in public areas. The service must operate 7 days a week during the winter period, from October to April, and be temperature-triggered in response to pre-agreed thresholds (e.g. surface temperatures forecast below 0°C or as defined by Met Office data). All vehicles used must be roadworthy, clean, and regularly maintained, fully licensed and MOT certified. All drivers and personnel must hold a valid driving licence (appropriate categories) and be trained in winter maintenance procedures. Vehicles must not move between fresh water and wastewater sites without a full decontamination to avoid cross-contamination. The service delivery must be supported by a comprehensive digital Platform accessible to SW: Site-specific gritting maps and access details. Site and contact information. Live and historical job tracking with vehicle GPS. Job history and audit trail. Picture evidence of service delivery. Automated time stamps for job start/finish. Communication logs for instruction and completion confirmation. Routine Service - The Supplier shall provide a planned, temperature-triggered gritting service for: Access roads, Car parks, Footpaths, Other designated areas as per site-specific requirements. Snow clearance when required. Monitor weather forecasts (via Met Office or equivalent) and respond in line with pre-agreed gritting criteria. Perform gritting during off-peak hours (typically overnight or early morning) to reduce disruption. Ensure areas are treated. Reactive Service – The Supplier shall provide a flexible, on-demand gritting service based on daily instructions issued by the SW. List of sites to be issued no earlier than 16:00 daily, requiring response that same evening/night. Provide precision hand gritting, particularly in high-risk areas (e.g. leak sites, uneven terrain, pedestrian walkways). Be capable of handling emergency and short notice gritting requests, including potential 24/7 availability during adverse weather events. Allow for site additions after initial list issue (e.g. newly reported leaks). Jobs to be fully document via a communication portal, supplier to provided Gritting evidence, Leak location identification, photographic evidence, map marking or GPS location of affected area