PA water authority extends long-term partnership with Veolia through 2015

Nov. 14, 2014
The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority board of directors has voted to continue its nearly three-year partnership with Veolia. The one-year contract extension to December 2015 allows PWSA and Veolia to continue implementing a long-term strategy for a variety of improvements.

PITTSBURGH, PA, Nov. 14, 2014 -- The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) board of directors recently announced that it has voted to continue its nearly three-year partnership with Veolia North America, a provider of environmental solutions. The one-year contract extension to December 2015 allows PWSA and Veolia to continue implementing a long-term strategy to improve customer service, reduce spending, increase efficiency, overcome financial challenges, and protect water quality and the environment.

Since 2012, Veolia has helped PWSA realize approximately $5.5 million annually in recurring revenue and efficiencies. Under the leadership of Interim Executive Director Jim Good, PWSA has instituted financial controls that limit spending and increase accountability, fostered competition among companies seeking to do business with and on behalf of PWSA, and identified opportunities for operational efficiencies that have a direct impact on the utility’s bottom line.

To enhance revenue and return PWSA to stable financial footing, it has secured the return of a large commercial water customer and started a water meter replacement program to ensure that all customers are receiving and paying monthly bills based on accurate consumption readings. In addition, Veolia helped PWSA optimize its customer service platform, reducing hold times for customers up to 80 percent, enhanced the information provided to customers on monthly bills, and expanded bill-payment options.

The partnership with PWSA is part of Veolia's Peer Performance Solutions (PPS) model, enabling municipal water utilities to benchmark against other leading utilities while preserving public governance and a public workforce and benefiting from specialized private-sector expertise.

Improvements in services and performance levels have been generated by conducting in-depth diagnostics of current operations, developing specific recommendations for improvement, and supporting PWSA employees in implementing initiatives aimed at reaching new performance metrics. Veolia will continue to apply best practices developed through its management of more than 8,500 water and wastewater facilities and systems around the world and will share and transfer knowledge to PWSA employees.

See also:

"City of Pittsburgh, Veolia Water extend partnership to build on first-term success"

"PA water authority adopts new smart water network"


About PWSA

The Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority provides water and sewer services to more than 300,000 consumers throughout the city of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. PWSA is committed to providing the best quality water at the lowest possible cost. For more information, visit www.pgh2o.com.

About Veolia

Veolia groupis a specialist in optimized resource management. With over 187,000 employees worldwide, the group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them. For more information, visit www.veolia.com.

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