Veolia Water’s environmental management system has prioritised three main issues of environmental focus for the company - water efficiency, resource efficiency and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Customer focus on water efficiency
Veolia Water’s household customers use on average 168 litres per person per day, compared with the UK average of 148 litres and the Government’s target of 130 litres by 2030. Which such a large proportion of the UK’s water consumption tied up in Veolia’s customers the business realised its biggest impact on the environment would be made by working with these customers to change the behaviour of water efficiency. The company’s aim is to ensure that 90% of its customers are on a water meter by 2012 and in preparation for this it is engaging customers on the benefits of water conservation. Free cistern displacement devices are distributed to customers and they are also offered self water audits and a free repair of their supply pipes. Veolia Water has also been communicating sustainability messages in schools for over 10 years.
Resource efficiency with partners and suppliers
Veolia Water’s partnership with its repair and maintenance contractor has provided a commercially viable solution to reprocess excavated waste and by doing so has set industry standards for recycled excavated waste (REW) above the legislative standard. Veolia has also managed to divert all of the waste generated from raw water treatment from landfill by re-using it as a soil conditioner on local agricultural land. Further innovation has been invested in by Veolia Water as part of their rainwater treatment process at landfill sites which produces both renewable energy and ammonia. The biogas available at the landfill sites is used to generate electricity which powers the plant, with the excess exported to the grid as renewable energy. The bi-product of this process is ammonia which is recycled as a de-NOx additive in a nearby combustion plant.
