Water & Wastewater Asia March/April 2019

20 | IN PERSON
wastewater treatment that can be architecturally integrated with
ease. Veolia is receiving more requests to integrate solutions to
existing set-ups that didn’t previously have water reuse or recovery
plans. And that’s why compact solutions are necessary — because
the space for them weren’t initially allocated in original facility
designs.
Q: How has digitalisation changed the competitive landscape for
Veolia? Has digitalisation of water technologies driven down the
cost of water treatment?
FT: With the emergence of Industry 4.0, the digitalisation of
water and wastewater treatment processes for streamlining and
optimisation has become one of the most prominent trends in
the industry today. The digitalisation of water and wastewater
treatment solutions provide a clear pathway toward a more
productive and sustainable water future. Today’s operators of water
and wastewater treatment facilities face an array of challenges,
including reducing operational costs, minimising costly downtime,
and obtaining a coherent view of operating status with information
diffused across multiple sources at any given time. Veolia offers a
digital platform, AQUAVISTA, which provides plant personnel with
a tool to efficiently control connected plants and water treatment
equipment, and real-time remote monitoring of equipment data,
dynamic alarm management, and information for operators —
leading to improvements in efficiency and productivity. Through
the array of offers available on the AQUAVISTA digital platform,
customers can decide on the service level that best meets their
current requirements. Other than the AQUAVISTA Plant mentioned
earlier, the AQUAVISTA Portal offers clients single point of entry
for customers with remote access & monitoring of equipment.
AQUAVISTA Insight features a dashboard that provides key
operational information, benchmark analysis, and KPI monitoring —
allowing customers to make more informed decisions. And finally, the
AQUAVISTA Assist provides customers with access to a network of
Veolia’s process and commissioning engineers who are on standby
to offer real-time advice.
Q: With so many changes in the water industry, what do you think
is ahead for the industry as a whole?
FT: The tightening of environmental and local regulations — coupled
with increasing water and wastewater challenges like water scarcity
threats, climate change, and production growth in Asia Pacific
— have led more manufacturers to acknowledge and accept the
long-term business benefits of being socially and environmentally
responsible. Consequently, manufacturers are starting to develop
their own corporate environmental agendas and are more actively
implementing new solutions to maintain a green image. Due to this,
we foresee that companies operating in Asia Pacific will continue to
require more savvy solutions for water and wastewater management.
Q: What other areas of water is Veolia planning to focus on over
the coming three to five years, if any?
FT: Veolia will continue to offer a diverse range of sustainable
solutions that addresses unique requirements and brings added
value to the region. Our expanding portfolio of technologies over the
years have enabled us to minimise the impact on the environment and
communities while positioning us as a leading water and wastewater
treatment solutions provider. And our specialised knowledge of
each industry segment also enables us to apply water technologies
specifically adapted to each client’s individual needs and to leverage
value from water resources, regardless of the size of a project.
For Asia Pacific in particular, Veolia will continue to contribute to
the sustainable development in the region by providing unique
water, wastewater, and reclaim solutions for customers from both
the municipal and industrial sectors. We look forward to working
in partnership with stakeholders to focus on what we do best in
delivering results with our solutions. WWA
Water & Wastewater Asia • March / April 2019