Veolia North America
The world is ready and waiting for solutions to tackle increasing water scarcity.
A recent international survey conducted by Veolia and Elabe showed 89% of the world and 80% of Americans believe climate change is real. Veolia commissioned the one-of-a-kind survey as part of its global effort to measure world sentiment around climate disruption and the public acceptance of solutions.
The results are clear: people recognize that climate change is a reality and the effects of climate change are serious and getting worse. A majority of them believe doing nothing will cost more in the long run.
Though most respondents in the Veolia survey don’t believe there has been enough public discussion of climate change solutions, a majority of the world – and a majority of Americans – is optimistic that humankind is capable of mitigating its effects, if we start now.
In a world where water scarcity is approaching crisis and drought is a way of life for billions of people, Veolia provides the technology and the know-how to put our planet on a more sustainable water path.
According to recent survey results, 50% of people in the United States are ready to accept nearly all of the changes (95%) needed for an ecological transformation.
Veolia has the technical solutions and expertise to put the world on a more sustainable water path
At Veolia, we believe universal access to clean, safe water is a basic right and a realistic goal. And we have more than 150 years’ experience making this a reality for millions of people across the globe. Our 220,000 employees, including 10,000 in the United States, have the expertise and technology to keep taps flowing, the infrastructure working efficiently and the environment pollution-free. It’s what we do across the globe, in hundreds of communities, every day of the year.
When it comes to conservation, Veolia is more than water. We have the expertise to help communities reduce waste and cut excessive energy use. Making the most of resources on a warming planet is how Veolia can make communities healthier, by removing pollution from the environment, rebuilding infrastructure to ensure efficiency and reusing water to protect a diminishing resource scientists say will only become more precious in upcoming years.
Our solutions for water reuse and reclamation
With significant water scarcity issues facing communities across the United States, local governments have refocused efforts on conservation and efficiency programs. As wastewater is the only water resource of which volume increases proportionally to economic development and consumption, many cities are turning toward reuse and reclamation solutions to optimize their water costs and minimize their environmental impact.
Water reuse programs utilize treated wastewater for beneficial purposes other than the initial use, including:
- Facility cooling
- Boiler feed water
- Industrial process water
- Watering green spaces and golf courses
- Groundwater storage and recovery and salt intrusion barriers in coastal communities
- Support agricultural irrigation
- Public fountains
- Street cleaning
Veolia develops comprehensive water reuse programs and technologies to help municipalities maximize community resources while adhering to strict environmental standards.
In Los Angeles and other parts of the western U.S., Veolia is recycling wastewater to irrigate crops, replenish underground aquifers and provide safe drinking water to millions of Americans. In the Midwest, the South and along the East Coast, Veolia is deploying cutting-edge technology to build and refurbish entire water systems, ensuring communities are non-polluting and storm-resistant.
San Ardo, CA
Chevron partners with Veolia to provide a new solution for sustainably treating produced water, minimizing water impact, maximizing efficiency and significantly expanding production.
Tampa Bay, Florida
Tampa Bay Water partners with Veolia using a Design-Build-Operate (DBO) model that was adapted to meet the client's need for a new water supply source.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Check out how Honolulu teamed up with Veolia to employ state-of-the-art technology that treats secondary effluent previously discharged into the Pacific Ocean.
West Basin, California
Learn how Veolia's innovative operations meet the needs of West Basin's municipal, commercial and industrial customers while improving the environmental condition of our coastal waters.
We need a new approach to public works, and Americans agree the time to act is now
Concerned for the future, 1 in 4 Americans are considering giving up long-term projects such as having children.
The consequences will get worse the longer we wait. 57% of Americans believe that taking action now will cost less than the cost of inaction.
Today, the technology and operational know-how exists to make our public systems modern and efficient, transforming the lives of people across the globe. The challenge is financing these systems and distributing them fairly. Our survey results make clear that people are willing to pay for climate mitigation, so long as the benefits are distributed equally to all communities.
In the developed world and here in the U.S., the need for water infrastructure improvements is enormous. And in historically disadvantaged communities, where residents may already struggle to pay for basic utilities, a lack of money is what stands between a healthy community and universal access to clean and safe drinking water.
There is good news: The U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed by Congress in 2022, allocates $55 billion nationally for critical water infrastructure work. The Inflation Reduction Act, also passed by Congress in 2022, provides new incentives for communities to build resilience in the face of climate change.
Together, these laws authorize the biggest infrastructure rebuild in U.S. history, profoundly improving the health and welfare of communities across all 50 states. Even so, this gigantic sum of money will not be nearly enough.
But all the money in the world can’t keep a project from bogging down. We need to re-imagine the way large-scale infrastructure projects are conceived and completed. Governments need to build a structure that makes it easier for public and private operators to work together, setting up defined responsibilities, reducing risk for private partners and streamlining workflow.