Veolia Advances PFAS Mitigation in Drinking Water With More Than 30 Treatment Projects Launched in the U.S.

Veolia, the largest private operator of water services in the United States, has reached a new milestone in its treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals in America’s drinking water, with more than 30 sites now reporting no detectable levels of regulated PFAS chemicals. The advanced effort includes new treatment installed at 17 drinking water wells in the state of New York, with construction underway on additional projects in four states as Veolia continues to address PFAS contamination in drinking water supplies across the country.

PFAS contamination in drinking water is a critical challenge due to its widespread presence and persistent nature. The U.S. has been one of the forerunners in the fight against this problem, with regulations in place in several states and the imminent introduction by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the first mandatory rules requiring treatment of certain PFAS in drinking water systems. 

Using its global experience, Veolia is able to treat regulated PFAS at scale with proven systems based on its expertise in technologies such as activated carbon or nanofiltration, while evaluating more advanced treatment materials and innovating new treatment technologies. In the U.S. Veolia, as a leading regulated utility and operator of municipal water systems, has moved quickly to provide effective solutions for communities affected by PFAS contamination in drinking water. To date, Veolia has treated more than 2.1 billion gallons of drinking water in the country using more than 1 million pounds of granular activated carbon and other materials that separate regulated PFAS and other contaminants from water, reducing their levels below the regulatory thresholds.

Suitable treatment is essential to help separate PFAS from drinking water effectively, and Veolia has conducted almost 10,000 water sample analyses in the U.S. in the past five years to determine and implement the best treatment options across a range of source water chemistries, physical site constraints and equipment lifecycle costs. 

In all the geographies concerned, where the regulatory framework has moved towards a proactive approach to dealing with PFAS, Veolia wants to draw on the operational expertise acquired in the United States as well as on its research capacities across the world to fight against water pollution and other micropollutants, in order to offer an efficient and affordable solution at scale.

“The fight against PFAS pollution is a concrete example of Veolia delivering innovative ecological solutions to the challenge of depollution. In the United States, where regulations have evolved more rapidly than in Europe, we have more than 50 additional projects at various stages to meet the new standards. With our worldwide expertise in cutting-edge water treatment technologies, the United States represents a land of solutions from which all our geographies could benefit,” said Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia CEO. “It is crucial to tackle the challenge of PFAS in drinking water without delay, and this requires strong regulatory support. Addressing this issue demands coordinated efforts across sectors and across the entire PFAS value chain to ensure compliant drinking water in the relevant areas. Veolia is proud to be leading the way in mobilizing its expertise to advance the treatment of PFAS, thereby helping to improve public health.”

“Veolia is a leader in providing solutions to both the public and industry to address environmental challenges, with PFAS as the perfect example. Using existing and innovative treatment technologies, as well as our expertise in executing and delivering complex projects, Veolia is providing a cleaner environment by addressing regulated PFAS contaminants in water,” said Fred Van Heems, President and Chief Executive Officer of Veolia North America.

In New York, Veolia began working closely with local authorities to launch a robust PFAS management plan for drinking water wells in 2019, anticipating the standards developed by New York State and the EPA for those chemicals. Veolia has also installed treatment systems for drinking water wells in its service territory in neighboring New Jersey and in Pennsylvania. Throughout this effort, Veolia has shown its unique ability to tackle the novel and complex task of dealing with PFAS in drinking water.

ABOUT VEOLIA

Veolia's ambition is to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 218,000 employees on five continents, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for managing water, waste and energy that help to radically change the world. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia contributes to developing access to resources, preserving available resources and renewing them. In 2023, the Veolia group served 113 million people with drinking water and 103 million with wastewater services, produced 42 terawatt-hours of energy and recovered 63 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) generated consolidated sales of €45.3 billion in 2023.