Indianapolis: Nation’s largest, most innovative water partnership delivers exceptional results. Find more solutions at www.veoliawaterna.com.
Challenge
The city of Indianapolis was seeking an experienced operator to manage and improve a water system with historical taste-and-odor issues and rising costs.
Veolia Water’s solution
Through an innovative, performance-based operating agreement with approximately 40 specific criteria, Veolia Water delivers expertise while the city maintains local control and oversight. Indianapolis and Veolia Water work together to plan investments in the waterworks infrastructure, technology, people and the community. A more systematic methodology for managing water quality production and assets was implemented, and numerous process control improvements were made. The company also expanded customer services and created a 24/7 customer call center.
Results
- Indianapolis was able to freeze rates for the first five years versus a rate increase of 30 percent or more that was being planned.
- Taste-and-odor complaints have plummeted, down from 501 in 2001 to less than 10 in 2008.
- Customer satisfaction now well exceeds the national average for water utilities, according to independent research.
- Indianapolis is the only major U.S. city now certified in ISO 9001 and 14001
- Employee safety is at a 10-year high.
- Approximately 90 percent of all expenditures stay in the community.
- The city’s MBE/WBE goals have been greatly exceeded.
- Veolia Water developed a comprehensive watershed management program through a $5 million commitment to Indiana University Purdue University — Indianapolis.
- A water education program resulted in the installation of more than 200 Water Boxes in area schools.
Scope
The 20-year partnership includes total management of the water system serving approximately 1 million central Indiana consumers. It encompasses operations and infrastructure management of all system assets (treatment facilities, pumps, pipes, valves, hydrants, meters, etc.) and all related customer services, including billing, collection and customer service solutions. The system includes: 4 surface water treatment plants ranging in size from 16 to 96 MGD, 8 groundwater treatment plants, 4,000-mile long drinking water distribution system, 31 pump stations, 32,000 fire hydrants, 19 water storage tanks, well fields and finished water storage. It also includes more than 325,000 meters within the system.