Veolia North America

We’ve got a busy October ahead of us and we’re looking forward to connecting with you! Whether you’re interested in learning more about how we can support your municipality, how we can help implement digital technology solutions to your water utilities or what projects we are working on for a more sustainable future, we’ll be at these events to answer all your questions.  A few highlights to keep an eye out for: 💧 We have a table at Water Harvest, an in-person event at the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility in El Segundo, CA. This free, family-friendly event welcomes community members who participate in a number of fun, educational activities including tours of the water recycling facility, stage shows, interactive water education booths, games, kids’ costume contests, opportunity drawings and more! 💧 David Connors, PE will be speaking at the Connecticut Rural Water & Wastewater Association annual conference and trade show about our internship program. Discover how our program prepares the next generation of water professionals and the exciting opportunities it offers.

#NYCClimateWeek might be over, but the work has just begun. From AI's growing pains to the urgent need for water security, the message was clear: "It's Time!" to move beyond pledges and into tangible action. Nate Pepper, Vice President of Communications at Veolia North America, reflects on the conversations and presentations of the week, highlighting his key takeaways in our latest blog. Check it out at https://lnkd.in/ebtCEfkJ

Congratulations to the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC), which today broke ground on an infrastructure improvement project critical to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant's rehabilitation, expansion and permit compliance. This is a pivotal moment as together we begin construction that will transform flow control at South Bay and strengthen the plant’s ability to protect the San Diego coast from extreme levels of highly polluted cross-border wastewater. The project to refurbish Junction Box 1 (JB-1) will install two new gates on an 8-foot-wide pipe that carries wastewater from Mexico to the plant. The non-functioning JB-1 has impacted the plant since 2021. For the first time since then, the plant will be able to control how much wastewater it accepts, including during heavy rains, thereby protecting its equipment from damage and flooding, and meeting its treatment capacity limit of 25 million gallons per day (MGD). Reducing the inflow will make it possible for the plant to more efficiently treat water it sends into the Pacific Ocean through the 3.5-mile South Bay Ocean Outfall, once again achieving federal water quality standards on a consistent basis. Read the full release at https://lnkd.in/epqTU8ct

We had a great turnout this weekend for the Historic Milwaukee, Inc. Doors Open event at the Jones Island Water Reclamation Plant, with nearly 1000 people stopping by to learn more about the water reclamation process and the making of Milorganite® Fertilizer. Visitors enjoyed exhibits, tours, kids activities and more—it was a fun way to connect with our community and celebrate the work we do with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to serve more than 1 million people in the Milwaukee area. You can learn more about our work in Milwaukee at https://lnkd.in/e6a8jXRu

Congratulations to Shari Gold, who received the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense Excellence Award on behalf of Veolia at the American Water Works Association WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas this week. This award recognizes Veolia’s customer conservation rebate program, which encourages its New York customers to replace their outdated fixtures including shower heads, toilets and smart irrigation controllers with new high performance models that save water and energy. Our partnership with WaterSense is a strong reminder of the importance of water efficiency, as we work together to support ways to conserve water for future generations.

The countdown to the #WEFTEC 96th annual technical exhibition and conference in New Orleans has begun!  We’ll be at booth #2229 to connect with colleagues and share insights on our latest water solutions, with a number of exciting events on the agenda, including: 💧Veolia’s Erick Gomez and Nadine Robertson will be joining the InFlow panel on Tuesday, October 8, aimed at introducing future leaders to opportunities in water. The Water Environment Federation (WEF) InFlow program is focused on enhancing diversity and inclusion in the water workforce. 💧Karine Rougé, Veolia CEO Municipal Water, will speak about workforce development on a panel hosted by The Water Council on Wednesday, October 9. 💧Four Veolia teams will compete in the Operations Challenge, testing their skills in timed events simulating real-world challenges faced in operating and maintaining wastewater treatment facilities. 💧We’re also taking part in several pre-conference events, including the Water Palooza fair for local students, a community service day alongside other WEFTEC sponsors, and guided tours of the New Orleans Eastbank Wastewater Treatment Plant. Hope to see you there!

Thanks to the Columbia Climate School for inviting us to the Rethinking Water conference on Tuesday, September 24. We were able to connect with more than 200 students who were all eager to learn more about how our unique solutions in water, waste and energy continue to lead in the #ecologicaltransformation.

#ClimateChange has become impossible to ignore. Is the world ready to do things differently? 🌍 Communities around the world are experiencing the direct impact of a warming world. The year 2023 was the hottest on record. One-third of Europe’s river network exceeded the “high” flood threshold, swamping homes and crops. Meanwhile, storms caused record-breaking damage in the U.S. But now the data is showing that people around the world want change. 🧑🤝🧑 According to Veolia’s 2024 Barometer of #EcologicalTransformation survey: 👉 75 percent of people around the world feel climate change is the biggest threat facing humanity. 🗣 “Often, the debate around climate action sees people argue that most of society can’t afford ecological transformation and that it’s only for the wealthiest. But the survey shows this isn’t the case — people around the world view ecological solutions as a way to protect the cost of living.” - Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia ➡ What needs to change to save the planet? Will people pay more for #energy? Will health benefits motivate change? Will people use recycled and reused #water? Discover the answers to these questions in this article on The New York Times 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNwGuwR5

We're excited to be back at the North American Hazardous Materials Management Association annual conference this week in Austin, Texas. Be sure to stop by our booth and connect with Karl Palmer and Jim Dykhuis to talk about the latest waste solutions for a more sustainable future.

A severe rainstorm hit the State of Connecticut rapidly and unexpectedly on August 18, triggering flash flood warnings at noon that were ultimately extended past midnight on August 19. In the end, nearly 16 inches of rain fell in 6-8 hours in various locations–qualifying as a 1,000-year flood in some areas and leaving a startling path of destruction in its wake. The area impacted included Veolia North America Municipal Water Contract Operations in Danbury, Ridgefield, Norwalk, Newtown, Naugatuck, North Haven and Seymour. The deluge prompted quick and heroic action by VNA colleagues who took vital steps to prevent further calamity from the heavy rains. As these events unfortunately become more common, safely and effectively responding to their impacts will remain a critical aspect of our teams' work. Lessons from these incidents will go a long way to ensure that best practices become common practices, and that we look for ways to make our water utilities more resilient to the impact of storms.