Veolia Water has won the first two international calls for tenders issued by local authorities in Slovakia. They cover all water services in the center of Slovakia (the Banska Bystrica district) and in the north of the country (the Poprad district). With these two contracts, Veolia Water will now manage water and wastewater services for 950,000 people in 750 towns and districts and will employ 2,000 people.

The first contract has been awarded by the Banska Bystrica water company (StVS), the public company that covers the central region of Slovakia. It includes water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and customer relations. The 30-year contract is worth annual revenue of €43 million, for a cumulative total of approximately €1.3 billion over the period.

The second contract has been awarded by the Poprad water company (PVS), the operating company that manages the water and wastewater services of the city and region of Poprad in the north of Slovakia. This contract also covers water production and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment and customer relations, and is also for 30 years. It is worth annual revenue of €17 million, for a cumulative total of €500 million over the period.

These first two contracts show that the local Slovakian authorities have placed their trust in public-private partnerships. The authorities appreciate the flexibility of this kind of partnership and its capacity to satisfy both their needs and their population's expectations. The contracts also strengthen Veolia Water's leadership position in Central Europe. We are now the leading operator in the Slovakian water market, as we are already in the Czech Republic and Hungary

said Antoine Frérot, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia Water.