Increasing the technical yield of drinking water networks

  • Algiers: drinking water available 24/7

    In 2006, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT teamed up with SEAAL to implement a cutting-edge water distribution and sanitation management system in the Algerian capital. Assessment and outlook 5 years later.

     
  • The Eupen drinking water facility

    Since 1951, the drinking water plant built by Degrémont in Eupen, Belgium treats water from the Vesdre dam. The extensive upgrades carried out between 2006 and 2009 helped to anticipate European water quality standards.

     
  • Discover the Perth desalination plant

    In April 2005, the Regional Water Authority of Western Australia awarded Degrémont a 25-year contract to design, build and operate a desalination plant in Perth. The plant uses cutting-edge technologies to produce 14,000 m3 of drinking…

     
Because water is a valuable resource, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT is committed to combating water wasting in its distribution networks in order to increase technical yield and respond to water stress challenges.

Combating water system leaks

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT strives to increase the technical yield of its drinking water networks by using innovative technologies that save water.

Lyonnaise des Eaux, a Group subsidiary, helps clients to control their water consumption by deploying long-range smart meters in France: over 100,000 meters are now installed throughout the country to track leaks in the distribution network. In Dijon in particular, the company has put in place a permanent prelocation system. This unusual method consists of installing acoustic sensors on the supply pipes. Any leaks detected are directly reported through text messages to local teams, saving massive amounts of water

2010 performance

  • 9.5 m3/km/day of water losses, compared to 9.7 m3/km/day in 2009
  • 11 million m3 of water saved, the equivalent of the consumption of a city of some 220,000 inhabitants

Implementing and proposing alternative resources

SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT strives to remedy the scarcity of fresh water by proposing alternative resources. True to its philosophy of innovation, the Group has developed original processes (membranes, ultra-violet systems) that allow it to provide treated water of a quality that can be used for agricultural and industrial purposes.

United Water, a subsidiary of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, currently uses an advanced wastewater recycling facility in West Basin, California (United States) that reportedly saves over 30 million m3 of water a year.

The Group has also developed economically viable seawater desalination technology. Degrémont, a Group subsidiary, is currently building a desalination plant in Melbourne (Australia) that will meet a third of the water needs of the agglomeration. The International Water and Environment Research Centre (Le Pecq, France), which specialises in water treatment, wastewater treatment, analysis and IT systems for this industry, has developed a competitive solution: replenishment of groundwater. This offers an alternative source of freshwater as well as a way of controlling the intrusion of salt water into coastal areas. It also ultimately promotes ecological balance and the availability of resources.

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