Edinburgh-based water retailer Business Stream, a subsidiary of state-owned Scottish Water, said on Monday it has been awarded the UK Ministry of Justice water and wastewater services contract following a competitive tendering process. 

The contract, worth over £70 million, is one of the largest public sector contracts awarded since the English market opened in 2017.

Under the new three-year agreement, Business Stream will manage the water and wastewater services of over 900 sites, including the Home Office and National Probation Service, Courts and Tribunals Service and the HM Prison Service in England.

Business Stream CEO Jo Dow said: “We have a vast amount of experience in working with the public sector and are now looking forward to offering our expertise and suite of innovative services and solutions to the Ministry of Justice, helping the organisation to save time, water and money”

Business Stream recently announced that it is now the second largest water retailer in the UK, following its acquisition of the non-household customer base of Yorkshire Water Business Services and recent successes in the market.

The water company, which services over 340,000 customers across the UK, confirmed that since the English market opened in 2017 it has generated around £280 million in new contract wins.