At a time the world is mobilizing to defeat the coronavirus pandemic, it has never been more important to protect our water resources. In these unprecedented times, water is an indispensable weapon in fighting the disease, acting as a barrier to the virus and maintaining a decent standard of living for the millions of people who are confined to their homes.
Water is not only a vital staple, it is also the basis of cleanliness. Without water, there is no personal hygiene; without water, there is no healthy living space.
In this respect, Veolia's mission is even more important. The value of the resource we treat is even greater than usual, and the need to preserve it more pressing than ever.
Consequently, as soon as the crisis began in Asia - and now across the world wherever the Group operates - Veolia has activated its continuity plan to provide an organization that guarantees treatment and access to water resources, whatever the local circumstances. This mobilization, which requires an unprecedented effort on the part of Veolia employees, is only made possible by our teams’ admirable sense of responsibility.
We say it every year on World Water Day: water is a resource like no other. Because we have been working for 167 years with the conviction that we are managing an extraordinary resource, we have managed to remain focused and, despite everything, optimistic in these particularly difficult times.
Committed in response to the crisis
Wherever Veolia operates, the company is working to deal with the crisis and support people. With the strictest respect for the barrier measures, Veolia employees are working day after day to ensure that people in countries affected by the health crisis continue to benefit from good quality water and functional sanitation services.
This commitment has never wavered in any of the various crises that Veolia has traversed or during which its Foundation has offered its support: Hurricane Irma, flooding in the Aude, earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, cholera epidemic, Hurricane Katrina… on every occasion, the Group has put its expertise and commitment at the service of the people affected.
Key figures Veolia & Water worldwide
With more than 69,000 employees in the water business (in 2019), Veolia is involved in all stages of the water cycle, from its extraction to returning it to the natural environment. The company serves 98 million people with drinking water and 67 million with wastewater services. Veolia extracted 9.9 billion cubic meters of water, mainly for its drinking water production and distribution activities. On a daily basis, it is committed to saving scarce water resources, guaranteeing its quality and ensuring its renewal – at the same times as preserving its ecosystem.
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