Celebrating World Water Day

Today is World Water Day, an annual United Nations observance day that highlights the importance of freshwater. This year the theme is “Groundwater, Making the Invisible Visible.” Groundwater is essential as our food supply, sanitation, environment, and drinking water rely on this vital source. The Groundwater Project states that “worldwide, 2.5 billion people depend solely on groundwater resources to satisfy their basic daily water needs.” But the availability of freshwater resources is an enormous challenge faced worldwide because it is susceptible to pollutants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and can often face over-extraction due to increasing demands and a limited supply. Communities are exploring significant untapped opportunities to alleviate water stress, including those experienced in our groundwater sources, by recycling wastewater to augment freshwater supplies.

At Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, we know the importance of groundwater resources and the role of water reuse in sustaining its availability and quality around the globe. That’s why we offer a wide range of innovative water and wastewater solutions such as ultrafiltration, membrane bioreactor, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis reversal, and ozone that allow us to reliably treat different sources of groundwater, some of which are contaminated, for people everywhere.

Here are some recent examples of how we helped our customers and made a difference in the water world:

• The Borough of Bellmawr in New Jersey found PFAS contamination in their wells for PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and other variants. To address the Borough’s immediate need, Veolia rapidly deployed a containerized PFAS removal system that did not require a building or exposed tanks, could be placed directly on the ground and was protected against weather conditions. Placement and hookups were rapid and easily accomplished.
• The City of Morro Bay, located on California's central coast, is in the final stages of construction of a new wastewater treatment facility away from the coast to avoid hazards such as sea-level rise, tsunami, and flood inundation. Veolia’s LEAP*mbr technology was selected because it will produce superior water quality, ensure reliability and fit within a small footprint. The MBR system is the first building block of advanced treatment designed to recycle wastewater to augment groundwater supplies used for drinking water.
• The village of Ouhans in France uses the Loue spring to source its drinking water supply. However, because of the karstic underground nature, the water is subject to high turbidity peaks during rainy periods, and chlorination alone does not guarantee compliance with drinking water regulations, especially those related to the suspended solids and bacteriological content. Concerned with the health of its inhabitants, the municipality wanted to find the best solution that would provide consistent, safe drinking water for the population. It turned to Veolia and our aquasource Z-XS technology solutions, which guaranteed compliant, safe, and clean water with improved color, odor, and taste, all while optimizing the village’s water treatment facility.
• Nitrate contamination of groundwater is a common result of agricultural fertilization. The Kfar Saba municipality in Israel has several nitrate-contaminated wells. The City issued a public tender for a 10-year Design, Build, Operate, Transfer of nitrate removal water treatment facility for one of its wells. Veolia’s Ionics EDR technology optimally met the user requirements and demonstrated excellent water quality results.

Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions is committed to continually developing innovative solutions for our customers worldwide to address this critically important issue to preserve, treat and replenish groundwater.