Selected Information - Proposed Research

The TR61 software package has been used by many water utilities to gap-fill and benchmark in-house capital cost estimates. Prior to PR09, TR61 software was expanded to supply Water Utilities with estimates for operational expenditure and therefore, with the existing capital maintenance functionality, whole life costs. That package was independently audited and subsequently certified for use in Business Planning purposes.

Since then TR61 has been significantly enhanced to provide estimates of carbon emissions (with their monetary equivalents) for both embodied and operational components. This has been done in a manner consistent with that outlined by Ofwat in ‘Setting Price Limits for PR09: Framework and Approach’, using the latest published methodologies and guidance from UKWIR, DECC and DEFRA.

Consultation with the existing Liaison Group indicated a need for a further enhancement, for its use in PR14 activities. This project will deliver an updated TR61, including an update of capex, opex and carbon models using new data and a full external audit of the software by October 2012.

Benefits to Clients

• Powerful, integrated (capital and operating) cost and carbon estimation tool, certified for use in PR14 activities, covering water and wastewater assets which will allow:
  • Up-to-date estimates of capital, operating and whole life costs.
  • Estimates of embodied and operational carbon emissions with their monetary equivalents in a manner consistent with Ofwat’s requirements.

Work Programme

1. Collect additional data on construction, maintenance and operating costs.
2. Produce asset level refurbishment models, where possible.
3. Update the capex models by including new capex data.
4. Review and update the opex models.
5. Collect additional data to improve embodied carbon models.
6. Review and, where necessary, update the carbon emission estimations for constructing and operating facilities.
7. Produce TR61 V11 software package.
8. Liaise with auditor to facilitate the certification of TR61 V11 for PR14 purposes.

Project Output

• Capex cost and carbon models.
• TR61 V11 software for estimating capital, operating and whole life costs and carbon emissions.

Related WRc Work

• TR61 Version 10, CP347, 2010. WRc included carbon emission estimates in TR61 for the first time. This allowed both carbon and cost estimates to be estimated for water and wastewater facilities in terms of capital investment and operation and whole life.