NACE E – Water Supply; Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation | Public Tenders

NACE E: Water, sewerage and waste management in public tenders. CPV codes, thresholds and contracting authorities in essential public services.

Definition: NACE Section E covers the collection, treatment and distribution of water, the collection and treatment of wastewater, and the collection, treatment and disposal of waste, including recovery. These activities form part of municipal essential services and are heavily shaped by public procurement.

What does NACE E cover?

Division	Title	Brief description
36	Water collection, treatment and supply	Water abstraction, treatment and distribution
37	Sewerage	Collection and treatment of wastewater, sewage sludge disposal
38	Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery	Household waste, bulky waste, commercial waste, hazardous waste
39	Remediation activities and other waste management services	Soil remediation, contaminated-land treatment, water-body restoration

Public Tenders in Water and Waste Management

NACE E is one of the most procurement-relevant sections: water supply, wastewater treatment and municipal waste management are almost exclusively contracted by the public sector. Many companies in this field are themselves classified as utility contracting entities.

Typical Contract Types

Water supply infrastructure: Construction and refurbishment of water mains, pumping stations and elevated tanks
Wastewater treatment plant construction and operation: New build, extension and maintenance of municipal sewage treatment works
Sewer networks: New sewer construction, sewer rehabilitation (inliner, short-pipe), sewer inspection
Waste collection and transport: Award of collection services for residual waste, biowaste and recyclables
Waste treatment: Operation of landfills, waste-to-energy plants, composting facilities
Soil remediation: Clean-up of contaminated sites, groundwater remediation

Thresholds

Utility contracting entities (e.g. municipal water utilities) are subject to higher thresholds: supply/service contracts from EUR 443,000, works contracts from EUR 5,538,000. Classical contracting authorities (municipalities) are subject to the general thresholds.

Common CPV Codes

CPV Code	Title	Scope
41000000	Collected and purified water	Water supply, distribution
90400000	Sewerage services	Wastewater plant operation, wastewater treatment
90500000	Refuse and waste related services	Waste collection, landfill operation
45231300	Construction work for water and sewage pipelines	Pipe construction
90523000	Toxic-waste disposal and treatment services	Soil remediation
90600000	Cleaning and sanitation services in urban or rural areas	Street and city cleaning

Contracting Authorities

Municipalities and municipal utilities: Main contracting authorities for water supply, sewerage and waste collection
Waste-management associations and special-purpose authorities: Inter-municipal bodies for waste management and sewage treatment
Regional governments: Funding and tendering of water-sector infrastructure projects
Environmental authorities: Award of soil remediation and contaminated-site works
Utility contracting entities (water utilities): Construction and operation of water infrastructure under the utilities regime

FAQ

What tenders are available for waste-management companies? Waste collection and transport services are typically tendered by municipalities and special-purpose authorities as service concessions or service contracts. Tenders often involve multi-year framework agreements (5–10 years). Key CPV codes: 90511000, 90512000, 90513000.

Are municipal water utilities subject to the utilities procurement regime? Yes, where they operate water supply networks they qualify as utility contracting entities under Annex III of Directive 2014/25/EU. This means higher thresholds but also greater procedural flexibility in structuring tenders.

What are typical lots in waste management? Waste management services are often divided into lots geographically (by area) or by waste stream (residual waste, biowaste, recyclables) in order to foster competition and enable SMEs to participate.

Last updated: January 2026 All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.