He Who Pays the Piper

摘要

Over the past twenty years, contracting in the UK water industry has changed dramatically. Specifications produced by the client's 'in house' technical resources used to ensure that he not only paid the piper, but called the tune as well. Now, the 'in house' technical resources have gone, contracts are let on a 'design and build' basis, and all too often, the piper himself calls the tune, and is paid for the privilege. Partnerships attempt to reconcile the client's objective of minimum cost and the contractor's objective of maximum profit, but only work if the terms are drafted fairly and clearly. Contractors profit or perish, and buried infrastructure can hide a multitude of sins. Great progress has been made in rehabilitation techniques, yet the benefits are squandered unless sufficient technical expertise is applied to design, selection, procurement, and installation. To achieve cost-effective rehabilitation, the network must first be fully described in terms of its present performance and condition, and then in terms of the performance required of it in the future. Techniques and materials must be selected taking account of whole life costs, rehabilitation procedures must be clearly specified, and stringent quality assurance must be applied to ensure that these procedures are followed.