94% of water services in the world are directly operated by local authorities.

Public authorities - large or small - usually own the pumping stations, water treatment plants, storage tanks, water supply systems, sewerage systems and wastewater treatment plants.

They can, if they so wish, outsource to specialist companies, such as Veolia Water, the task of managing water services. The outsourcing of this public service meets both skills and performance requirements, as Veolia Water has the expertise and the necessary know-how to handle this resource under all operational and abstraction conditions and, in particular, when circumstances prove difficult.

Outsourcing the public water service to a concessionaire company is subject to a detailed contract, wherein the terms and duration of the concession as well as the remuneration are made clear.

As a general rule, water services are organized and managed at a local level. Water is produced, supplied, collected and, once it has been used, treated, close to where it has been consumed or used. Contrary to electricity, for example, water cannot be transported over long distances, if the cost of water is to be maintained at an acceptable level. Moreover, it is local authorities who set the prices.