Veolia partners with Jamestown, Rhode Island to provide high-quality water service

JAMESTOWN, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veolia North America, the leading provider of water services and environmental solutions in the U.S. and Canada, has entered a three-year agreement to operate the water treatment plant for the Town of Jamestown, Rhode Island, providing high standards of water quality and professional operation for nearly 1,600 homes and businesses in the coastal community.

Leading provider of water services and environmental solutions in the U.S. and Canada enters a three-year agreement to operate the water treatment plant for Jamestown, Rhode Island

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Throughout the three-year contract, Veolia will provide a team of three certified, full-time professionals to operate Jamestown’s plant, alleviating a staffing shortage that has become a perennial concern throughout the water sector. Veolia will provide a full contingent of certified employees to operate and maintain the water treatment plant, working in conjunction with municipal personnel to provide environmental security for the town and its residents. Jamestown’s need for a deeper operational roster became apparent over a recent period when only one licensed individual was on hand to address the needs of the facility. In addition to dedicating Rhode Island-certified personnel specifically to operate the Jamestown Water Treatment Plant, Veolia has the ability to draw from its significant regional workforce to assist in meeting the facility’s ever-evolving needs.

Veolia will also provide opportunities for members of Jamestown’s current bargaining union to attend training for water treatment operator licensing and advanced certifications, in an effort to cultivate a stronger municipal workforce for the water treatment plant.

Upon mobilization in January of 2025, the Jamestown team and Veolia’s support personnel wasted no time implementing effective and noticeable improvements to the facility and to water quality. Veolia’s site leadership immediately identified a below-ground pump vault used for reading meters that was not appropriately structured for employees to enter it safely. In line with Veolia’s non-negotiable emphasis on operational safety, site leaders installed electronic systems to take the required readings, then built a small structure with lights, handrails and rehabilitated stairs to reduce slip hazards and fall risks. Similar improvements to the plant’s operating systems have resulted in immediate support for Jamestown’s water quality.

John Oatley, Regional Vice President for Veolia said: “We are excited to work with the Town of Jamestown and provide the support this community deserves for the protection of both public and environmental health. Our team throughout Rhode Island and across New England has demonstrated efficiency, dedication and operational excellence. We look forward to bringing that to Jamestown and maintaining this unique area’s remarkable quality of life.”

Edward Mello, Jamestown Town Administrator said: “The delivery of high-quality, safe drinking water to our residents is a paramount function of our local government services. Jamestown, like many communities, has struggled to recruit and retain qualified staff members in all areas of the services we provide. This partnership allows us the stability needed to continue this high-value service.”

Veolia has a long-established reputation for high-quality operation of water and wastewater systems across southeastern New England, including facilities in Pawtucket and Woonsocket in Rhode Island, New London in Connecticut, Westborough in Massachusetts, and more. Veolia’s service to the region exemplifies its global GreenUp strategy, striving to lead the ecological transformation of the planet by accelerating water quality improvement, hazardous waste treatment and disposal, decarbonization and technological innovation.

ABOUT VEOLIA NORTH AMERICA

A subsidiary of Veolia Group, Veolia North America (VNA) offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Veolia North America has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across the continent.

www.veolianorthamerica.com

ABOUT VEOLIA GROUP

Veolia Group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with 215,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2024, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 98 million with sanitation, produced 42 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 44.7 billion euros in 2024.

www.veolia.com