Cascade and Veolia Water sign sustainable water services agreement

CHICAGO — The Cascade Water Alliance (Cascade) extended the term of its agreement with Veolia Water North America (Veolia Water) to provide improved operation, maintenance and management (OM&M) services for the White River/Lake Tapps Reservoir Project. The project will serve as a future water supply for seven municipalities in the Puget Sound region.

The public-private partnership with Veolia Water will keep the water surface of Lake Tapps Reservoir at established target elevations, will work to maintain existing infrastructure and will provide day-to-day operations of the project. By so doing, Veolia Water will help Cascade to ensure the delivery of a safe, clean, reliable water supply to the almost 350,000 residents and more than 20,000 businesses that are served by Cascade Members. The four-year contract extension was awarded to Veolia Water based on the success of a transitional operations phase during 2012.

"Although water is critical to the continued growth of society and local economies, it can also be a limiting factor," said Shilen Patel, business development director for Veolia Water. "Veolia Water’s strategy is based around implementing sustainable models of water management. This will help ensure the long-range municipal water needs of the Central Puget Sound region."

Over the course of the agreement, a team of water industry experts from Veolia Water will help Cascade improve customer service and operational performance levels through asset management and by conducting in-depth diagnostics of the reservoir infrastructure system, developing specific recommendations for improvement, and supporting Cascade Members in programs that are compliant, safety-focused and cost efficient .

"Growing our economies and creating jobs means ensuring an efficient, sustainable method for supplying water services," said Patel. "We call this ‘blue growth,’ and that’s what Cascade is doing through this reservoir and its agreement with Veolia Water. We’re looking forward to working together with Cascade to continue to provide water management in line with the needs of the future."

Cascade is a municipal corporation based in Bellevue, Wash., which provides drinking water to 350,000 residents and 20,000 businesses in the Cities of Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Tukwila and the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water and Sewer Districts in Washington State. Cascade owns and operates Lake Tapps in eastern Pierce County, Wash., for eventual drinking water supply.

Based in Chicago, Veolia Water North America is a provider of comprehensive water and wastewater partnership services to municipal and industrial customers, providing services to people in approximately 550 North American communities. The company also operates more large-scale water treatment facilities for North American industry than any other company — providing water management and product and resource recovery services at more than 100 industrial facilities.