Kilkern secures initial WIRS accreditation

14th Mar 2025

Kilkern has taken a strategic step forward following successful assessment in its targeted categories under the Water Industry Registration Scheme (WIRS).

WIRS is operated by the LRQA (Lloyd’s Register’s Business Assurance & Inspection Services division) on behalf of water utility companies. The scheme is for contractors who provide new connections to the existing water supply or sewerage system. These are referred to as “self-lay” organisations or SLOs.

Kilkern has initially pursued accreditation for Design, the Construction of Mains and Services (all works) (CMS) and the Construction of Routine Mains Connections (CRMC).

The accreditation builds on the success of contracts such as the installation of all underground services at the £480 million Lostock Sustainable Energy Plant Ltd (LSEP) project in Cheshire where Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and FCC Environment, appointed Kilkern to install drainage and ducting to meet the needs of the Energy from Waste facility.

Working to Black & Veatch, the engineering, procurement and construction management (EpCM) contractor, Kilkern completed works totalling almost 8.5km of drainage and ducting at the site, including deep drainage, cast iron pipework, pressure mains, bypass separators, septic tanks and an attenuation tank.

Endorsement of Kilkern’s capabilities

Kilkern director, Patrick Curran, believes successful assessment and approval as an SLO is an important endorsement of the business’s competence and capabilities within the civil engineering and utilities sector.

“We have built up many years of experience working on deep drainage and underground utility works,” he said. “So WIRS is really important recognition of our high standards of work and our compliance with industry guidelines. It additionally provides valuable reassurance for water companies and developers – many of whom require WIRS accreditation.

“We see accreditation not just as a vouchsafe of the team’s expertise but also as a platform on which we can forge new relationships and open up new areas of work. WIRS is recognised by all 22 of the UK’s water companies.

“Strategically, we continue to strive towards having the best in class standards for a civil engineering and infrastructure contractor so, as a team, we will now be looking to ‘kick on’ and complete full accreditation.”