Veolia Partners with WFX to Improve Water Infrastructure in Underserved American Communities
Water Roundtable creates new opportunities for Veolia to support American communities facing health and environmental threats from substandard water and wastewater infrastructure.
www.veoliawatertechnologies.co.uk
America’s water and wastewater systems need an estimated $1 trillion in investment to make up for decades of deferred maintenance and upgrades, but many communities lack the funding, organization or technical ability to begin tackling their challenges. That’s why Veolia North America, the largest private operator of water services in the United States, is joining with Water Finance Exchange (WFX), the trusted nonprofit improving America’s water infrastructure, to help small and disadvantaged communities improve their water and wastewater systems.
As a founding member of the WFX Water Roundtable, Veolia will use its experience, knowledge and energy to help communities find solutions to complex water problems, especially in rural, disadvantaged areas that often have the fewest tools but most need. WFX has helped communities in Texas, Idaho, Illinois and other states develop creative strategies to deliver water improvements, establish innovative governance systems, tap into new funding sources, create rigorous capital programs and manage construction programs, the vital behind-the-scenes work necessary to rebuild water systems.
With Veolia’s support, the WFX Water Roundtable will help communities identify and prioritize water projects, evaluate their technical and financial resources, explore creative funding strategies, and then get to work building the physical infrastructure their residents deserve. At a recent WFX workshop in western Tennessee, Veolia joined regional water sector leaders as well as local, state and federal government officials to share strategies and stories of how communities acquired the technical assistance, funding tools and workforce development necessary to improve water services for their residents.
Since its founding in 2020, WFX has helped communities across America explore innovative strategies to address their infrastructure deficiencies, including funding workshops and regional efforts for small communities to engage the same level of resources that larger systems take for granted. WFX has helped more than 30 communities across the country access more than $100 million in funding for water infrastructure, and has engaged federal, state and philanthropic partners to provide them financial as well as technical assistance.
Through the Water Roundtable, WFX and Veolia will develop programs and partnerships that focus on specific community improvements as well as larger regional initiatives – boosting water quality and public health as well as economic opportunity. Veolia will devote its resources to helping communities create the paths to rebuild their water and wastewater infrastructure, and will encourage its employees to volunteer to help vulnerable communities improve their environmental compliance, support public health and spur economic development.
Veolia North America provides sustainable, reliable and high-quality water, wastewater and biosolids management services to more than 20 million people across the United States. It is the largest combined water and wastewater operator in America, operating regional water utilities in six states as well as providing operation and maintenance services for more than 200 water, wastewater and biosolids management systems in 36 states. With thousands of employees operating across the country, Veolia North America can draw on a wealth of technical experience to help the Water Roundtable find practical solutions for communities and improve water equity for their residents.
www.veolianorthamerica.com
