Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 11th June 2026 Issue no. 1214
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Veolia leads calls for accelerated uptake of water reuse to strengthen water security
As the world enters an era the United Nations describes as global water bankruptcy, water, waste & energy management specialist Veolia, is drawing on the work carried out by its newly created stakeholders assembly to call for action to accelerate the uptake of solutions based on proven state-of-the-art technologies such as water reuse.
Currently 8% of the world's water is reused, with the uptake of reuse technologies constrained by a variety of psychological, financial and regulatory barriers.
"Water has become a matter of strategic concern," declares Anne Le Guennec, CEO of Water Technologies Zone at Veolia. “Demand for freshwater is forecast to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030. This is a major preoccupation in terms of industrial and environmental security.
“And although prevention remains vital, technology also has an essential role to play. We must stop thinking of water as linear; instead we should treat it as a renewable resource so industries and local authorities can call on a mix of freshwater and recycled water to meet their critical needs.
“Given the urgency of the situation, Veolia's stakeholders assembly is issuing a white paper setting out 10 concrete proposals and commitments for accelerating the uptake of water reuse, including:
• A new approach to water security. Based on innovative solutions, this centres on an analysis that accounts for stakeholders' needs as well as local constraints and challenges to define an optimal supply mix which aligns with regional strategies.
• By the end of 2026, providing an open source tool to calculate projected costs associated with having no water ("’ost of no water’), designed to make the risk more tangible for public and financial decision-makers. Veolia is working to create the tool in collaboration with several stakeholders assembly members, including water economist Esther Crauser-Delbourg, Susan Doering from Aon Insurance, and Laurie Chesné from Natixis CIB.
• A call for a regular United Nations Water conference similar to the conferences on biodiversity and climate to ensure the issue remains at the forefront of international priorities and promote water reuse as one of the core components of the global water agenda.
Esther Crauser-Delbourg, water economist and member of the stakeholders assembly, advises: "We need to rethink our habits to make sure we're using water at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way for different communities and regions. The solutions already exist for recycling and preserving water resources. What we now need are robust financial and economic tools, particularly tariffs that properly reflect water's value. Now is the time to take action collectively."
Technological solutions already exist for tackling new risks. With its proprietary solutions, Veolia offers innovative approaches for boosting environmental security: solutions that promote water conservation and water saving, for example, by tackling network leaks, wastewater reuse and desalination solutions that are implemented after all other options have been considered.
Veolia is the pioneer of water reuse at scale. For over 25 years the Group has worked with customers around the world, in places like Spain, Namibia, the Middle East and Chile, to roll out tailored solutions.
Veolia's ReutBox solution has been deployed in France since 2022. The compact, mobile units allow sewage plants to operate in a closed loop, providing quality recycled water for external uses such as irrigation, street cleaning and watering green spaces. The equipment is already running or scheduled to be installed at over 50 sewage plants. In the southern French city of Narbonne, a cutting-edge installation provides treated wastewater for irrigating vineyards, while in nearby Argelès, France's largest water reuse installation will soon be supplying water for irrigating local crops.
11th June 2026