Outlook

It is by focusing on the essential priorities of safeguarding public health by providing a clean high quality water supply, conserving resources and protecting the natural environment that Veolia Water intends to continue developing its activities on the five continents, where its activity is increasing due to four main factors :

• the rise in the world's population and its concentration in cities
• the strengthening of environmental standards and increasing health concerns
• the growing acceptance of the outsourcing services model as an alternative to public management
• and the refocusing of industrial clients on their core business.

Less than 10% of water services are currently managed by the private sector, so it is clear that opportunities for growth in our business are considerable, notably in Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East. 

In its business activity, Veolia Water is working on three fronts. The first challenge is to go beyond being a simple water distributor to become a water cycle manager. In France, Veolia Water is called on by elected representatives and water agencies to find solutions to problems such as identifying new resources, combating wastage and monitoring the quality of bathing water. The second challenge is to give just as much attention to information about water and its quality as to the water itself. The third challenge is to contribute to urban life through such means as fountains, canals and rivers so that water once again takes its place at the heart of the city.

Veolia Water technological priorities are the development of analytical tools and improving the effectiveness of membrane technologies in water treatment, for municipalities and industrial applications, such as seawater desalination. The Membrane Competence Center has worked on specifying the different qualities of membranes depending on their use.

Also, Veolia Water can now list and identify all the molecules that affect the taste of water, even the most volatile. Through its use of the Twister process, the division has become a worldwide reference in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of odor-causing components in water.