SCOTTISH Water has awarded £230 million in digital contracts to Accenture and BT as part of a major upgrade of its core technology systems.
The investment aims to strengthen cyber security, improve network resilience, and modernise key applications to support the delivery of water and wastewater services across Scotland.
Accenture has been appointed to deliver applications management services, while BT has been awarded the contract for networks and security services. Their work will focus on enhancing the performance, stability, and continuous improvement of the utility’s enterprise applications.
The BT networks and security contract is worth up to £130 million and the Accenture applications management contract is worth up to £100 million. The new contracts will start on September 1 and run for four years, with possible extensions of up to eight years.
Chris Toop, Scottish Water’s director of digital & innovation, said, “These strategic relationships are an important step in our digital journey. By working with Accenture and BT, we are strengthening the technology foundations that support every part of our business. Together, we’ll deliver more resilient, secure and efficient digital services that enable us to better serve our customers, support our colleagues and meet the challenges of the future.”
Gordon McKirdy, utilities lead for Accenture UK & Ireland, added, “This collaboration is about applying technology not just to improve how systems run, but to help safeguard services that communities across Scotland depend on every day. With our Glasgow-based team at the heart of this work, we’re proud to support local talent, innovation and long-term capability in Scotland.”
Ishbell MacPhail, head of BT business, Scotland, commented, “We’re proud to be working with Scottish Water to help keep essential water services running smoothly for millions of people across Scotland. By bringing together BT’s nationwide network, security expertise and local Scottish teams, we’ll help make the services people rely on every day be more resilient, responsive and ready for the future. It’s about using technology to support better, more dependable services for homes, businesses and communities across Scotland.”
