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VEOLIA WATER NORTH AMERICA AWARDED NEW YORK STATE’S FIRST DESIGN-BUILD-OPERATE AGREEMENT FOR WASTEWATER SERVICES
Partnership Enables Rockland County to Expand Wastewater Services and Preserve Ramapo River
BROCKTON, MASS., May 30, 2006 – Veolia Water North America – Northeast, LLC (Veolia Water), will lead New York State’s first design-build-operate project for a greenfield wastewater treatment plant, thanks to a $45 million agreement handed down from the Rockland County, N.Y., Sewer District No. 1. The plant is located in Hillburn, N.Y., and will service residents of western Ramapo, including the villages of Sloatsburg and Hillburn.
After a competitive procurement process, Veolia Water has been chosen to design, build and then operate the new 1.5-million-gallon-per-day wastewater facility for the community located less than 20 miles from New York City. The new facility will incorporate advanced technologies – continuous inflow sequencing batch reactors (ICEAS ®) and ultraviolet microfiltration – that will produce an effluent that exceeds all environmental wastewater quality standards mandated by the U.S. EPA and New York state legislation. Additionally, the facility will be completely enclosed for superior odor control.
“This project allows the county to improve the protection of the surface and ground water resources in the region by preserving the sole-source aquifer in Ramapo Valley, which provides potable water to more than 280,000 in Rockland County and one million in New Jersey, and recharging the Ramapo River Basin,” said Julius Graifman, Board of Sewer Commissioners Chairman for the Rockland County Sewer District No. 1. “As a champion behind New York State’s enactment of special legislation to develop this facility as a design-build-operate project, I am both proud and pleased that such a beneficial project for the county is moving forward. It has been an 11-year journey to reach this juncture.”
Veolia Water North America – Northeast President Philip Ashcroft added, “We are delighted with this new partnership and the opportunity to develop a state-of-the-art advanced wastewater treatment facility for the county. By bringing together technology and our know-how, we are treating the wastewater to near drinking water standards, helping preserve the water quality of the river and making a significant contribution to public health in the area”
The design and construction of the new facility will begin immediately and is expected to last approximately two years. The operations component is for a five-year term and includes full repair and maintenance risk, sludge dewatering and disposal and laboratory testing. The facility will be run 24-7, using three employees and extensive automation.
N.A. Water Systems, LLC, an affiliate of Veolia Water, will lead the design and construction team consisting of Jett Industries, Camp Dresser & McKee, and Delaware Engineering. N.A. Water Systems is a Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies company, the world leader in engineering and technological solutions in water and wastewater treatment for municipalities and industry.
Veolia Water North America is the leading provider of comprehensive water and wastewater services to municipal and industrial customers, serving 15 million people in more than 600 communities. The company is part of Veolia Water, the No. 1 water company in the world, serving more than 110 million customers. Veolia Water is the water division of Veolia Environnement (NYSE:VE and Paris Bourse: VIE), the largest environmental services company in the world, with more than 310,000 employees in about 80 countries and annual revenues of more than $30 billion. Visit the company’s web site at www.veoliawaterna.com.
Visit www.westernramaposesewers.com for more information.
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Important Disclaimer. Veolia Environnement is a corporation listed on the NYSE and Euronext Paris. This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These factors and uncertainties include in particular risks related to the ability of Veolia Environnement to complete its divestiture transactions as a result of customary conditions precedent and closing adjustments, as well as the risks described in the documents Veolia Environnement has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Veolia Environnement does not undertake, nor does it have, any obligation to provide updates or to revise any forward-looking statements. Investors and security holders may obtain a free copy of documents filed by Veolia Environnement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from Veolia Environnement.
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