Aim - Conserving Resources

With this in mind, Veolia Water uses several communication methods in order to encourage customers to use water responsibly and to give them advice on how to reduce pollution.

Specific leaflets are produced and widely distributed in a number of countries. Other documents are also part and parcel of this resolve to raise awareness.
They summarize what customers can do as well as the precautions to take to ensure clean quality drinking water as well as how not to waste it.

Finally, on the various company websites, visitors can find practical advice and recommendations on the best way to consume and protect the water delivered to them.

Every year drought causes water shortages around the world. This may then affect, for instance, agriculture or the leisure industry. Above all, it may also have serious consequences for the health of local communities.

According to an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), set up by the UN, such phenomena are likely to increase over the next decades in a growing number of regions in the world.

Wherever it operates, Veolia Water takes steps to inform the public of the risks and to reduce the consequences of these climatic disorders.

A Major Publicity Campaign in the United States

In Indianapolis during the summer of 2005 the hot dry weather led to an increase in water consumption that exceeded the installed pumping capacity.
In order to prevent this situation from happening again in the future, during summer 2006, Veolia Water ran a major campaign promoting good practice and how to use water wisely. Advertising inserts were published in the local press, several advertisements were shown on television, and information leaflets were sent out with the bills.
The immediate result proved to be positive, as recorded consumption during the summer of 2006 remained lower than that of the previous year. It only exceeded the threshold of 200 million gallons (i.e. 720 million liters) for three days as opposed to fourteen days in 2005 (www.indianapoliswater.com).

Hose Pipe Ban in the United Kingdom

Between April 2006 and January 2007, a hose pipe ban was put in place for Three Valleys Water's customers, who live just outside London, in order to combat the water shortage in the region. This ban proved to be most effective, as Three Valleys Water three million customers used 11 billion liters less water than they would normally have done. In order to achieve this, Three Valleys Water ran several awareness raising campaigns for both its customers and the general public, in particular by publishing on its website a comprehensive list of good practice in order to conserve water at home and in the garden.