History
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A century of collection in picturesAt the turn of the 20th Century, waste was collected by convoys of horse-drawn carts. More than a century later, methods and behaviours have radically changed to keep up with society. We look back at more than 100 years of an often overlooked…
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Algiers: drinking water available 24 hours a dayIn 2006, the Group teamed up with SEAAL to modernize water and wastewater management in the Algerian capital. Results and prospects 5 years on.
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Circular economy: waste becomes a new raw materialUsing waste to create a consumable, reusable material is what we call “the circular economy.” Overview of a new philosophy to support sustainable development.
1880-1989: more than a century of expertise
The Group’s history began in 1858 with Ferdinand de Lessep founding the Compagnie universelle du canal de Suez. The company’s aim was to finance a state-of-the-art project to link the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean.
Since then, many key dates have marked its history:
- 1880: establishment of Société Lyonnaise des Eaux
- 1919: setting up of Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA), to meet the waste collection needs of the City of Paris
- 1939: setting up of Degrémont a water treatment company in Paris
- 1948: Degrémont builds Egypt’s first drinking water treatment plant
- 1960: SITA rapidly expands thanks to numerous contracts in the Paris suburbs
- 1975: the first reverse osmosis desalination plant is built in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 1989: SITA begins operations in Malaysia, then expands to Hong Kong
1997: building a unique economic and ethical model
- 1997: Lyonnaise des Eaux merges with Compagnie Financière de Suez, creating Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux. Water management operations in France are grouped into a single business line.
- 2002: SUEZ’s Environment operations (water management, waste management, energy) are grouped into a single business line. The SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT Group is created.
- 2008: Initial Public Offering (IPO) of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT as a result of the merger of SUEZ and Gaz de France, creating a world leader exclusively dedicated to water and waste management services.
- 2010: the Group takes control of Agbar,a water industry player operating in Spain and internationally. This acquisition will allow the Group to acquire additional positions in fast-growing markets, primarily in Europe.
The company provides innovative solutions to millions of people and industries in the drinking water, wastewater treatment and waste management fields.
- > Degrémont
- > Safege
- > SITA France
- > Cirsee
- > Lyonnaise des Eaux
- > Trashco
- > United Water
- > SITA UK
- > Ondeo IS
- > Chine