A carbon-neutral and resilient public water service

Number one public water service provider in France and one of the largest in Europe, the Syndicat des Eaux d’Ile de France (SEDIF) supplies drinking water to 4.4 million users in 149 towns in the Ile-de-France. Together with Veolia Eau Ile-de-France, its public service contract holder, SEDIF is innovating to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33 % by 2020.
 

To help SEDIF reduce its GHG emissions by 33% by 2020, Veolia has implemented an innovative contractual programme, making use of 3 complementary levers:

  • Energy savings: Electricity, essentially used for pumping and treating water, represents 95% of the water service’s energy consumption. The objective is to reduce electricity consumption by 6% by 2022.
  • Renewable energy: Electricity has been supplied from 100% renewable sources since 2013 (through special contracts with electricity suppliers).
  • Reforestation: 9 community reforestation programmes, recognized for their environmental and social benefits – managed by the organization Up2Green Reforestation- help offset any residual greenhouse gas emissions
To be more resilient and to enable SEDIF to maintain the water supply in the event of natural disasters or exceptional events,Veolia offers and implements a combination of innovative solutions:
  • Real-time service management, with “ServO”: centralized management of processes, interventions, and customer relations.
  • Water storage at several points on the network and network partitioning to ensure a two-day autonomy and minimum distribution, if the water supply is damaged.
  • Implementation of an ultimate backup plan: continuity of essential services, interconnected production plants, deep boreholes (800 m) for supplying underground water, which is protected from pollution and earthquakes.
     
    2% reduction in electricity consumption = -3.9 GWh in 2014 versus 2011

     

    100% of electricity consumption from renewable sources since 2013

      

     

    32% reduction in GHG emissions by 202

        

    367,000 trees planted in 2014 

     

     

    either 100% of residual GES emissions offset