At the "Water of the Future" event on September 10, 2024, which took place at the drinking water production plant operated by Veolia on behalf of the Greater Paris Water Authority (SEDIF) in Méry-sur-Oise, France, Veolia CEO Estelle Brachlianoff presented the Group's vision for innovative water management that serves citizens' health, resource preservation, and the protection of purchasing power.
Innovation that serves the water of the future
The SEDIF drinking water management contract won by Veolia in the Île-de-France region is a premier showcase for the Group’s technologies, with its most innovative water treatment solutions deployed on a large scale, benefiting health, quality of life and the purchasing power of communities.
Île-de-France is a strategic region providing more than 4 million people with drinking water every day. This flagship contract is an opportunity for Veolia to demonstrate its cutting-edge expertise and reinforce its leadership, and it will serve as a point of reference for the Group’s future technologies. Innovation is at the heart of the contract—for which the Group developed 150 innovations including 10 world firsts—proving its exemplary and futuristic aspect, and making the water service of the SEDIF the water service of a connected, innovative and digital future.
3 examples of world firsts
Membrane filtration
Created for the SEDIF, this “all membrane” solution is a world first and the ultimate barrier against micropollutants.
Pure water
Reverse osmosis, when combined with nanofiltration, creates pure drinking water that retains minerals.
A 3D vision of the network
The 3D digital twin developed by Veolia provides visuals of the entire network, including plants and structures.
Among the innovations implemented by Veolia: artificial intelligence used to detect water leaks and malfunctions, the creation of a local network of people trained to respond to a leak within 15 minutes of its discovery, and a modular solution combining low-pressure reverse osmosis membranes (LPROM) and nanofiltration membranes, an ultra-effective barrier against micropollutants that elevates SEDIF's water to the level of spring water
A resource in peril
We have never been faced with so many water-related issues: scarcity of resources, rising demand, increasing presence of all types of pollutants, more and more droughts and floods. Managing the water of the future is more complex than ever. With the IPCC projecting a 10 to 25% decrease in groundwater within 25 years, it is urgent to preserve this vital resource. At Veolia, innovation is at the heart of this reflection, and incorporates all these parameters. The Group is putting its global expertise, honed in the 57 countries where it operates, at the service of the Île-de-France region.
Our goal is to use innovation to protect health, purchasing power and water resources. Water is the ally of French purchasing power.
Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia
Anticipating future developments
At the “Water of the Future” event on September 10, 2024, Estelle Brachlianoff put forth this vision of an efficient, cost-effective and transparent water management that prioritizes health, purchasing power and water preservation.
Providing water of a quality beyond reproach while optimizing the efficiency of water networks: this is the commitment that remains essential to the work of Veolia, whose strategic program, GreenUp 24-27, aims to preserve 1.5 M3 of fresh water in 2027.
Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia
The Group recently carried out a large-scale campaign to analyze the presence of regulated PFAS in drinking water in France, anticipating the arrival of regulatory obligations in 2026. Thanks to its expertise and commitment to communities and regions, Veolia provides its customers with a broad portfolio of water pollution treatment solutions and technologies, to ensure high-quality water and protect people’s health.
As part of its strategic program GreenUp 24-27, Veolia relies on its strong local presence coupled with its proven international expertise to enrich and expand its range of modular and custom solutions perfectly suited to local realities. This model allows the Group, the number one water service and technology company worldwide, to best meet the needs of its customers.
Key figures of the contract
million Île-de-France residents in 133 towns and cities provided with drinking water
km network length
major innovations including 10 world firsts
The partnership between Veolia and the Greater Paris Water Authority (SEDIF) highlights this synergy. The combined forces of the champion of ecological transformation and Europe’s largest public water service are key to taking on the challenge of a modern water service that protects health, purchasing power and water resources, while best suiting the specific needs of the local area and its residents. The water of the future..
Making the impossible possible
1IPCC, “Synthesis report of the IPCC sixth assessment report (AR6)", 2021 / 2023