Veolia Water is the water division of Veolia Environnement, world leader in environmental solutions.
Veolia Environnement
Veolia Environnement is the only company in the world which is able to provide a comprehensive range of environmental solutions in:
- water services - Veolia Water;
- waste management - Veolia Environmental Services (collection, management, treatment and recycling of waste);
- energy Services - Dalkia (Veolia Energy); and
- transportation - Veolia Transport
In 2007 Veolia Environnement's revenue was €32.6 billion with European operations accounting for 80% of this.
298,498 employees in 67 countries over five continents ensure that Veolia Environnement operates on a local level with its customers and partners.
Veolia Environnement is listed on the Paris (Euronext) and New York (NYSE) stock exchanges
More information on our company
The company's presence all around the world
History of Veolia Environnement
150 years at the service of the environment
Veolia Environnement is a large family of companies and, like any other family, we are proud of our roots, which go back over 150 years.
This is how our Chairman and CEO, Henri Proglio, described the company in a recent message : "Founded at the dawn of the industrial era and the start of urban development, Veolia Environnement has constantly adapted to the changes in our societies over the past 153 years."
1853
Compagnie Générale des Eaux (CGE) was founded on December 14, 1853 by an Imperial decree issued by the French Emperor Napoleon III, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Our founders had two goals: to irrigate the countryside and to supply water to towns and cities. Our first contract was to supply water to the city of Lyons.
Just seven years later, the company was awarded a 50-year contract to supply water to the French capital, Paris.
1867
Foundation of Grandjouan and Soulier.
Francois Grandjouan won a contract with the municipality of Nantes to clear the streets of manure and refuse and to convert it into fertilizer. In 1870, the Soulier brothers set up a business in Rouen and Chauny to collect, buy and sell old rags and paper. These two businesses were the start of CGE's waste collection and processing activities and they merged with CGE in 1980 and 1990 respectively.
1875
Foundation of Compagnie Générale Française de Tramways (CGFT).
Baron Haussmann revolutionized city planning with his grand designs for the city of Paris. This, in turn, revolutionized urban transportation, triggering a boom in a new mode of transportation, the horse-drawn tram.
CGFT operated the first tram services in Le Havre, Nancy and Marseilles.
The company merged with CGE in 1980.
1880
Venice, Italy: The first success outside France.
In 1880, CGE won the rights to water distribution in Venice. This initial success outside France was followed by others in Constantinople (today called Istanbul, in Turkey) in 1882 and Oporto (Portugal) in 1883. CGE was becoming an international company.
In 1884 CGE extended its business to wastewater treatment (setting up a plant in Rheims).
1905
Ozone, a major technological breakthrough.
The process of using ozone to filter and sterilize water was developed. This was a big improvement on the previous chlorine water treatment process.
CGE adopted the ozone process in 1909.
CGE demonstrated a strong commitment to Research and Development by a steady increase in R&D investment throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The continuing commitment to R&D is illustrated by Veolia Environnement's three research entities, Anjou Recherche, CREED and Eurolum.
Learn more about Veolia R&D
1935
Chauffage Service created.
Chauffage Service was founded by Léon Dewailly.
The company specialized in the operation of heating and air conditioning systems.
In 1960, Chauffage Service merged with Compagnie Générale de Chauffe (CGC), founded in 1944, and the enlarged company joined CGE in 1967.
1953
100th anniversary of Compagnie Générale des Eaux.
In the year that Compagnie Générale des Eaux celebrated its 100th anniversary it was supplying water to 8 million people in France over a 10,000 km network.
The company was also extending its activities into new areas like municipal waste collection.
1980
The business consolidated
CGE merged with a number of subsidiaries into Omnium de Traitement et de Valorisation (OTV). This new company specialized in the design, engineering and construction of equipment for water and wastewater treatment.
CGE took control of CGEA, which later became Connex and Onyx, followed by Compagnie Générale de Chauffe, which later became Dalkia.
These moves brought together the businesses that form Veolia today.
1994
CGE becomes one of Europe's leaders in waste management.
CGE created the Urban Environment Institute (UEI) at Jouy-le-Moutier, near Paris, as a training and apprenticeship center for the environmental services industry.
1999
Foundation of Vivendi Environnement
Vivendi Environnement was set up as a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal to consolidate all the group's environmental services: Vivendi Water (water), Onyx (waste management), Dalkia (energy services) and Connex (transportation).
2000
Vivendi Environnement's Initial Public Offer (IPO) on the Paris Bourse:
Vivendi Environnement was listed on the Paris Bourse (the Paris stock exchange) on July 20, 2000 and the New York Stock Exchange in October 2001. Vivendi Universal retained over 70% of the company's stock.
2002-2003
Veolia Environnement
By December 2002, Vivendi Universal's shareholding in Vivendi Environnement had been reduced to 20.4%, effectively making Veolia Environnement an independent company.
In 2003, after approval from the annual shareholders' meeting on April 30, 2003, Vivendi Environnement changed its name to Veolia Environnement. Today, Vivendi Universal holds less than 5% of Veolia.
2005
Looking forward to the next 150 years.
In November 2005, Veolia Environnement adopted a new brand with a new logo aimed at uniting its four divisions under the Veolia banner and asserting its claim to be the worlds leading environmental solutions company.
