Wastewater services

Veolia Water is currently the leading company in the world for municipal wastewater

The Group primarily manages the networks and wastewater treatment systems for Berlin, Prague, Rabat, Durban, and Adelaide, and has been chosen to design, build and operate wastewater treatment plants and networks for the cities of Brussels and the Hague.

But it also still manages all different sizes of networks and treatment plants.It has developed a service provision for small local authorities aimed at managing the wastewater systems of those constituents who are not connected to the public wastewater system.

Aware that the efficient management of wastewater treatment services directly affects the economic development of local communities and also protects water resources, Veolia Water has developed a global approach to provide assistance irrespective of their size or the nature of their technical or regulatory issues

The project must go through the following stages in order to be successful.

1. Evaluating wastewater requirements:

• environmental impact study identifying sources of chronic and accidental degradation to the environment
• assessing the facilities and their efficiency
• identifying current and future water use from the viewpoint of sustainable development.

2. Defining a local wastewater strategy:

• strategic action plan in agreement with the financial stakeholders
• investment planning
• specifying and implementing monitoring tools for the approach

3. Guaranteeing wastewater quality:

• respecting the set level of service
• efficiency and speed of response in the event of an incident
• monitoring domestic and industrial wastewater customers in order to provide possible improvements in the service

4. Measuring service performance:

• introducing indicators that measure the continuity of service, the running of the network, the performance of the treatment and the efficient management of the assets
• creating and disseminating wastewater performance indicators
• assisting in attaining certification for the service.

5. Communicating to the local community about the impact of wastewater services:

• promoting this service as a device which assists in the development of the local community
• informing and involving customers
• developing the image of the wastewater service by promoting the results that have been achieved from the re-establishing of the environment such as fishing, water sports, beach water ..

Faced with ever changing requirements that weigh down on the wastewater services, and to ensure efficient operations and that the environment is being protected, Veolia Water recommends the move from "everything down the drain" to "as little as possible down the drain".

Veolia Water integrates its wastewater services into the municipal water cycle. It takes into account data on the catchment area as well as any economic development projects to create a truly customized wastewater approach for each public authority.

The aims of this approach are:

• to ensure the community's sustainable economic development by taking into account what the water will be needed for
• to make domestic as well as industrial customers aware of how to dispose of waste into the network
• to conserve water use. Investing in wastewater facilitates the long-term development of local activities
• to reduce the impact on the immediate environment and to be a springboard for an improvement in the quality of life.

Assets of an efficient management wastewater services:

• Improving the quality of life in local communities

Efficient management of the wastewater service directly improves the quality of life of the local community.

In fact, the main aim of treating wastewater is to safeguard the health of the local communities.

In addition, this service preserves the quality of the water resources and protects the natural heritage and water-based activities (tourism, fish farming...).

Finally, incorrectly treated wastewater can lead to pollution that can adversely affect drinking water production and increase treatment costs.

• A vehicle for economic development

Many manufacturers are connected to the municipal wastewater system and benefit from this service. The wastewater service therefore also involves all local economic stakeholders whether or not they are producing the wastewater discharge found in the natural environment.

The improvement in the living environment promotes the sustainable economic development of the local community. Primarily it is a question of ensuring the development of tourist activities that are dependent on an improvement in water quality.

Irrespective of the wastewater procedure chosen, it is therefore essential to adopt an integrated approach and to decide on a proper local wastewater strategy.

3,700 wastewater recycling plants produce 19 million cubic meters of water in the world today. Wastewater - once it has undergone a customized treatment process - has been recycled in arid regions (such as Namibia) for some time where it has often proved to be a most reliable resource.

Recycling has been the solution chosen by municipal and industrial clients to improve the availability of resources and reduce environmental pollution in many regions of Spain, Australia, the United States, the Middle East, Africa and Australia etc. This is also the case in Europe, where it makes sense to stay one step ahead.

Veolia Water - number 1 in the area of wastewater recycling - has developed new "multi-barrier" treatment systems which guarantee the quality of the water that is produced in line with the use intended for it by its clients.