Aqua Design
Project stages

Report Packs for Early Direction, Procurement, and Commissioning

Report Packs organise the report work by project stage, so project basis, scope, and review requirements stay connected from early direction through procurement and into commissioning. Start at the stage that matches where the project stands today.

Uses the same report titles as “How to Engage” Maps directly to project milestones Shows what most often drives each stage
Quick orientation

Think of this section as the project view of the same work described on:

  • Consulting & Process Design Advisory - services & studies.
  • How We Engage with Aqua Design - advisory families & report titles.
  • Project pathways - milestones & outcomes.

Here we show what the stage packs consist of - Project Background Report, Project Feasibility Report, Project Specification & Terms of Reference Report / Spec Pack, and Commissioning & Start-up Alignment Notes - together with the project drivers that usually lie behind each one. This helps turn a long report list into a clearer stage structure, so it is easier to see what belongs where, what each stage supports, and when it should come into the job.

Stages at a glance
Stage 0 · Pre-feasibility

Project Background & Early direction pack

Uses the Project Background & Early direction advisory family to create a single orientation point for everyone involved. This pack is about agreeing what the project is - and what it is not - before feasibility or vendor conversations start.

Scope: captures where water, wastewater and sludge are coming from, existing constraints, any reuse or biosolids ambitions, and the regulatory and physical boundary the project must fit within.

Useful for: owners, planning teams, lenders and advisors who need a short, shared background document that is richer than a slide but lighter than a full feasibility study.

Report titles used in this pack
  • Project Background Report
  • Regulatory Alignment Note
  • Technology Fit Notes

These are the same titles you see on How to Engage - here, they're compiled as the opening "Chapter 0" of a FlowPlan project.

Moves the decision on: whether the early direction is sound, which FlowPlan variants (STP+, ETP+, TSE+, ZLD+, GWTP, VWRP) belong in scope, and what is better parked for later phases.

Typical project drivers
What usually triggers a Project Background & Early direction pack.
Regulatory or planning trigger
Need to show basic intent and limit to authorities or planners.
Internal alignment
Different teams hold different views of “the project”.
Data & baseline gaps
Existing information is scattered, incomplete or out of date.
Usually owner & planning driven
Stage 1 · Feasibility

Feasibility & Planning pack

Uses the Feasibility & Planning family to move from "we have a project idea" to a preferred route and project scale. This is where options are compared and the FlowPlan configuration is narrowed down to a practical short list.

Scope: tests realistic routes - status quo, incremental upgrade, full retrofit, different reuse or biosolids strategies - and assembles order-of-magnitude CAPEX / OPEX and unit cost ranges using benchmarks, vendor budget quotes and existing plant data, with assumptions and uncertainties clearly flagged.

Useful for: owners, boards and lenders who need a quantitative but still early-stage view to approve a preferred route before detailed design, RFQs or partner discussions begin.

Report titles used in this pack
  • Options Comparison Matrix
  • Project Feasibility Report (Technical & Commercial)
  • Indicative Route & Phasing Notes

These are combined into a single Feasibility & Route Decision Report that can serve as Milestone 1 - Project Feasibility Report within Project pathways.

Moves the decision on: which route to pursue, what level of reuse or recovery is realistic now, and which FlowPlan variant (or combination) should be carried forward into Stage 2 - with a range-based CAPEX / OPEX and unit cost range suitable for board and lender review.

Typical project drivers
Why feasibility & route work is usually commissioned.
Board or lender approval
A clear yes/no or route choice is needed, backed by quantified ranges rather than overview only.
Upgrade vs new build dilemma
Uncertainty about retrofit, new capacity or entirely new plant.
Reuse & recovery ambition
Exploring if TSE, brine or biosolids can sensibly enter the plan now.
Owner, finance & ESG driven
Stage 2 · Design intake

Implementation Alignment pack

Uses the Implementation Alignment family to translate the chosen route into vendor-ready documents. This is where the feasibility decision becomes scopes, specs and comparison logic that tie directly to FlowPlan modules.

Scope: defines the technical and commercial boundary between owner, EPC and suppliers; sets expectations on performance, integration and control logic without doing detailed design.

Useful for: technical, procurement and project leads preparing RFQs, RFPs or partner notes.

Report titles used in this pack
  • Project Specification & Terms of Reference Report / Spec Pack
  • Integration & Connection Notes (equipment, controls)
  • Evaluation & Comparison Framework

On the projects side, these can appear under Milestone 2 - Project Specification & Terms of Reference Report and form the core of tender packs.

Moves the decision on: what you are actually asking vendors to do, how their designs will be compared, and which connections must be clearly owned.

Typical project drivers
Why implementation alignment work is triggered.
Tender or RFQ preparation
Need to issue specs without over-prescribing design.
Connection risk
Unclear boundaries between owner, EPC and equipment vendors.
Review & performance clarity
Want performance tests anchored before contracts are signed.
Technical & procurement driven
Stage 3 - Vendor & contracting support
Stage 3 · Selection & award

Vendor & Contracting Support pack

Extends the Implementation Alignment logic into running a structured procurement process, while staying true to the evaluation framework and performance responsibilities set earlier.

Scope: supports RFQ/RFP preparation, bidder Q&A, proposal comparisons and recommendation notes, without taking over the owner's procurement role.

Useful for: procurement leads, evaluation committees and owner's technical advisors.

Core components in this pack
  • Evaluation & Comparison Framework (re-used from Stage 2)
  • Bid query log & clarifications summary
  • Vendor scoring sheets & recommendation memo outline

On the projects view, these can underpin Milestone 3 - Vendor Selection Report and leave a clear "why we chose this partner" trail.

Moves the decision on: which vendor or consortium to proceed with, and how commercial terms and responsibilities should be set out.

Typical project drivers
What usually makes owners seek support at this stage.
Well-supported selection
Need an auditable trail for why a vendor was chosen.
Lifecycle vs CAPEX balance
Concern that lowest CAPEX may not be best lifecycle choice.
Risk allocation
Clarifying who owns which performance and integration risks.
Procurement & approvals driven
Stage 4 - Commissioning & Performance
Stage 4 · Proving it works

Commissioning & Performance pack

Uses the Commissioning & Performance family to define what "good" looks like during start-up and the early months of operation - and how tests, sampling and review will be managed.

Scope: covers pre-commissioning checks, wet commissioning, performance testing periods and the first stretch of assisted operation.

Useful for: implementation teams, operators, O&M partners, lenders and owner's representatives.

Report titles used in this pack
  • Commissioning & Start-up Alignment Notes
  • Performance Test & KPI Monitoring Scheme
  • Early Operations / Handover Guidance

These line up with Milestone 5 - Commissioning Report within Projects.

Moves the decision on: what the plant must demonstrate, how performance will be documented and when responsibility passes cleanly from vendors to the owner.

Typical project drivers
Why commissioning & performance work is formalised.
Regulatory or permit handover
Need project basis that new assets meet consent or permit conditions.
Operational comfort
Operators want a clearer playbook for early issues and handover.
Performance payment checks
Linking review tests to milestone or performance payments.
Owner, regulator & O&M driven
Stage 5 - Optimization & Upside (links to ROI study card)
Stage 5 · Optimization & value

Optimization & Upside pack

Combines the Commissioning & Performance learnings with the ROI & Cost - benefit Analysis study in Decision studies to show what the plant is delivering - and where to go next.

Scope: reviews early operation data, compares it with the feasibility range, and explores technically and commercially workable upgrades: chemical or automation changes, new reuse outlets, or biosolids routes.

Useful for: asset managers, finance and ESG teams who must track value realisation and set out the next wave.

Core components in this pack
  • Performance & resilience review note
  • ROI & cost - benefit analysis study (from the decision-studies grid)
  • Upside options menu & phased roadmap

This can extend Milestone 6 - Performance Review & Optimization Recommendations within Projects into a concrete, board-facing document.

Moves the decision on: whether to stabilise and hold, fine-tune operations only, or commit to the next wave of reuse, automation or biosolids investments.

Typical project drivers
When Optimization & upside work becomes worth doing.
Value vs promise check
Testing if the delivered performance matches the original case.
Next-wave opportunities
Interest in deeper reuse, biosolids or automation steps.
Cost & risk pressure
Rising costs or risk appetite triggering a rethink on operations.
Asset, finance & ESG driven

Choose the stage that fits where you are today

You don't have to start at Stage 0. Many clients arrive with existing studies, specs or vendor work. We map what you already have to these packs, show which report titles are already covered, and then recommend a practical entry point that keeps the project aligned.

From there, the same report families flow through to the Project pathways milestones and the Full Process Design views, so you're never buying the same work twice.

Share a short note on project type, stage and key questions. We'll highlight one or two packs that will move your decisions the fastest.

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