Veolia’s commitment to the public authorities is to ensure high quality clean water and to guarantee a high level of service, tailored to each individual situation whether it is a highly urbanized, rural, coastal or mountain area.
Veolia have supported and lent its years of expertise on managing the complete water cycle and know-how on all aspects of water services to public authorities. Through outsourcing these services, the public authorities and the operating company are able to ensure the quality of drinking water and wastewater services provided to the citizen consumer.
Water services
Veolia's primary responsibility is to produce drinking water and supply it to customers' homes.
Priority is therefore focused on the clean quality of the water to ensure the best possible water service, as expected by its municipal customers and by consumers.
Veolia’s brief is to make water safe to drink. That is to ensure it complies with the health standards as defined by the World Health Organization, European Union or by legislation passed in each individual country. At the same time it must improve the taste for the greater satisfaction of the consumer.
Wastewater treatment services
As with water services, wastewater treatment service, otherwise known as sanitation, is the responsibility of elected officials and local authorities.
In industrialized countries this service, essential for public health, has seen numerous developments over the last century and a half.
However, it is a sector where improvements still need to be made for instance a tightening of standards in using or updating ageing facilities.
Enlisting alternative resources
Aware of the potential problem that we risk by not renewing the "water capital", Veolia:
- is introducing strategies for its customers aimed at better management of water abstraction whilst respecting the environment;
- and is devoting time and resources to develop alternative resources.
Dealing with the chronic degradation to resources
Aware of the chronic degradation to resources, Veolia provides on the ground assistance and awareness initiatives and also takes positive action:
- With farmers to make them more aware and assist them in managing their irrigation needs better;
- By running support operations;
- By carrying out initiatives which record and monitor toxic elements in water resources;
- By helping local authorities to reduce the level of nitrates and pesticides in water resources and to maintain the quality of aquatic environments;
- Combating the risks of rainwater pollution.
Recycling wastewater
Veolia - number 1 in the area of wastewater recycling - has developed new "multi-barrier" treatment systems which guarantee the quality of the water produced is in line with the use intended for it by its clients.
Liaising with the consumers
Working with local authorities means Veolia is committed to providing citizen consumers with quality drinking water and to managing the collection and treatment of wastewater.
Veolia sets up local services to meet their demands and ensure transparency of information. Veolia is committed, moreover, to being ready to act quickly anywhere in the network should an incident occur or if the water is unsafe to drink following exceptional circumstances (flooding, drought, etc.).
However Veolia’s role does not stop there. It also needs to raise awareness of water issues among consumers and assist them in becoming more responsible citizens when it comes to using water.
As an operating company for the outsourced management of water services for local authorities, Veolia is also responsible for the correct billing of consumers in line with the pricing policy as set out by the local authority.
Dealing with incidents
When dealing with incidents, Veolia is committed to making its resources available to the public authority and citizen-consumers.
As continuity of water services is a constant priority, teams from Veolia are ready to act 24/7 to deal with extreme situations such as flooding, storms or other natural catastrophes. Their task is to repair the damaged facilities and re-establish the water supply in the fastest time possible.