
Only 2.5% of water on the planet is fit for human consumption without treatment.
This freshwater comes from:

Yet our planet's water resources are finite...
and demand is growing by the day
By 2025
Access to water will be more difficult for 63% of the world's population
Access to water will be more difficult for 63% of the world's population |


Regions facing water shortage

Durban: running industry on recycled water

Water resources are limited in South Africa, especially in the city of Durban. The main challenge in the region lies in managing the supply of drinking water to ensure priority is given to the city’s residents.
Veolia developed a simple solution through the Durban Water Recycling plant, which supplies the city's industries with recycled, cost-effective water of sufficient quality to be used in manufacturing processes. 98% of the SWTW treatment plant's wastewater are now recycled.
At the same time, to avoid drawing too heavily on local water resources, 47,000 cubic meters of additional drinking water are supplied daily to the people of Durban – enough to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools every single day.
Western Corridor Project: reclaiming water
Queensland is Australia's second-largest state. In 2007, it experienced severe drought and the reservoirs used to supply water to 2.5 million people almost ran dry.
The Western Corridor Project aims to develop a network of underground pipes more than 200 kilometers in length. These pipes feed into a reservoir used to provide drinking water to local people and also supply the purified water needed to run two power plants.
The Thames Valley: a universal challenge



The Thames Valley:
a universal challenge
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It is a common misconception that water stress only affects the planet's drier regions. It also affects areas of Western Europe, for instance, despite their temperate climate.
One example is the Thames Valley, which cradles the UK capital. The combination of limited water resources and high demand is a major challenge for London's water supply. Its water pipes date back to Victorian times and are sorely in need of repair to continue supplying the city's nine million people with water on a daily basis.
The project is the largest capex management contract in Europe's water sector.
- Nine million customers in London and the Thames Valley
- An average of 2.6 billion liters of drinking water supplied every day
- 100 water treatment facilities and 30 raw water reservoirs
- 288 pumping stations and 235 clean water service reservoirs
- Tap water costs less than a tenth of a penny per liter (€0.00012)
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Drinking water quality meets 99.97% of the most stringent testing
standards