Latest accounts filed at Companies House reveal that principal contracting business Barhale Limited achieved a pre-tax profit of £645,000 on turnover of £63.4m – down from £2m and £75.1m respectively in the previous six months.

The numbers were down due to the transition between the water industry’s strategic AMP periods and the general pandemic.

Barhale performed strongly in the AMP7 tendering round securing places on Anglian Water, Severn Trent Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water’s frameworks.

The firm also continued to extend its relationship with Affinity Water and Portsmouth Water while new commissions from National Grid, Network Rail, Thames Tideway and North London Waste Authority helped boost order books to £600m.

Julian Ripley, chief executive said: “This has been a challenging period as the economy was massively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The commercial background was made more difficult as clients and suppliers wrestled with uncertainty and, operationally, three of the reported six months saw the business adopting new working arrangements and protocols.

“Our teams were very responsive in rising to meet the new challenge. Almost overnight they adapted to new practices and have gone out of their way to ensure uninterrupted service delivery to our clients.

“Nowhere was this more apparent than in our signs and supplies business which was among the first in the UK to provide a reliable source of PPE and distancing signage to the wider industry.

“It is a real testament to the capability, stoicism and sheer hard work of our people that we have adapted to, and mitigated the impact of, this major challenge.

“Looking forward, the directors believe that the group is very well placed for when we emerge from this crisis.

“The sector in which we operate is essential to developing and maintaining the infrastructure upon which our society depends.”