Vancouver, Wash., extends Veolia Water wastewater partnership for five more years

• Agreement result of excellent performance and community involvement record.

HOUSTON, April 6, 2006 -- The city council in Vancouver, WA, has unanimously approved a five-year contract extension with Veolia Water North America - West LLC to continue managing the city's 42.5 million-gallon-per-day secondary wastewater treatment facilities along with eight lift stations, administering the industrial pretreatment program and managing solids disposal. Under the renewed contract, Vancouver residents will continue to enjoy a high level of customer service, rate stability and continued proactive management of their valuable wastewater assets.

The extension was due to the accomplishments and the operational excellence Veolia Water and the city have enjoyed over the past years.

A key example is the implementation of a sophisticated asset management and predictive maintenance program that increases the reliability of the city's facilities. Additionally, Veolia Water's comprehensive employee retention and training program has been important for overall operational excellence.

Regulatory agencies and industry groups have recognized the progress by bestowing facility employees with numerous performance and safety awards, including the prestigious George W. Burke Safety Award (2002) and Washington Department of Ecology -- Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant Award (2003, 2004 and 2005).

Chibby Alloway, president, Veolia Water North America - West LLC said, "This extension validates over 27 years of superior client service delivery. Our staff in Vancouver has optimized the standard Veolia Water operational systems to better serve the community and the water environment. We are certainly grateful for this strong vote of confidence, and we look forward to serving the residents of Vancouver for another five years."

Veolia Water North America (www.veoliawaterna.com) is the leading provider of comprehensive water and wastewater services to municipal and industrial customers, providing services to approximately 15 million people in more than 600 communities. The company is part of Veolia Water, the No. 1 water company in the world, serving more than 110 million customers. Veolia Water is the Water Division of Veolia Environment, the largest environmental services company in the world, with more than 310,000 employees in about 80 countries and annual revenues of more than $36 billion.

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