Opened in 1982, it currently houses 300 researchers and field developers who focus mainly on water, from resource to the consumer's tap, and wastewater, including urban wastewater, sludge and odor treatment. The WRC has cross-disciplinary expertise in the fields of membrane processes, biological processes, physical-chemical treatments and system management.
Finally, an in-house team supports the various programs for all aspects related to modeling, such as advanced process design, the use of simulation tools for systems and plants.
The European Commission has declared the center, a benchmark in its field, a Marie Curie Center of Excellence for membranes, disinfection, biological treatments and hydraulic modeling.
Water Research Center
Our Water Research Center specializes in water treatment and wastewater.
Based in Maisons-Laffitte, it is Veolia Water's historical research center. It has several affiliates, in the United States, Australia and Germany.
The Water Research Center replaced the original laboratory created back in 1889 at the company's headquarters, rue d'Anjou, in Paris.
Success Explorer
Aristot
Tap water can sometimes taste or smell funny. This is due to tiny amounts of odorous compounds that are in fact harmless to health. Due to their volatility however, they can be quite difficult to trace, which impedes effective water treatment. Over a period of a couple of years, ARISTOT was developed by Veolia R&D in order to detect such compounds and analyze more positively the drinking water that fills consumers' glasses.
Scientific chronicle
Water taste and smell
Water can be savored like wine, as the opening of water bars shows. Yet saying that tap water has a taste or smell means that it tastes or smells bad: no one wants to drink it and people even fear for their health. Why?