> Approach to wastewater treatment harvests energy, reduces
costs, cuts carbon emissions and improves Wisconsin’s
environment
> Ecofactory concept builds on Milwaukee Metropolitan
Sewerage District (MMSD) success at reclaiming valuable resources
from wastewater
> Earth Day commitment bolsters MMSD’s goal to operate with
100% renewable energy by 2035
Veolia North America, the leading provider of environmental
solutions in the U.S. and Canada, the Milwaukee Metropolitan
Sewerage District (MMSD), and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson
marked Earth Day by recognizing Milwaukee’s wastewater treatment
infrastructure as an “Ecofactory,” marking its transformation from
what was once a waste disposal process into a stream of green
energy, resource recovery and environmental stewardship for greater
Milwaukee.
The Ecofactory concept builds on MMSD’s leadership in treating
wastewater as a valuable resource for nearly a century, bringing
significant environmental benefits to the region such as producing
Milorganite® fertilizer, turning gas byproducts into power sources
and digesting waste to create energy while reducing landfill use.
As the MMSD’s long standing operating partner, Veolia is
designating Milwaukee as its first Ecofactory in America and will
use its successes to inspire similar transformation in other cities
across the country.
Karine Rougé, CEO of Veolia North America’s Municipal Water
division, said, "Veolia is thrilled to partner with MMSD to
launch the Ecofactory initiative in Milwaukee, a city that has long
exemplified how to treat the environment responsibly and find
creative ways to turn waste into resources. This collaboration
represents a significant step forward in our shared commitment to
sustainability and community engagement. By combining our expertise
and resources, we can continue to create a more resilient and
resourceful water infrastructure for Milwaukee and its residents,
helping them cut carbon emissions, find value in wastewater and
build stronger communities.”
“Forward-thinking actions are so important to meet the
environmental and climate challenges we face,” Mayor Johnson
said. “I am pleased Veolia is building on the work of MMSD as it
advances the Ecofactory concept. And, I look forward to additional
partnerships to advance our common goals.”
Kevin Shafer, Executive Director of the MMSD, said, “I
could not be more humbled or proud to gather on this Earth Day to
honor decades of innovation and the forward thinking that’s created
a highly successful agency to protect public health and our source
of drinking water, Lake Michigan.”
Ecofactory approach creates new environmental
opportunities
Designating Milwaukee’s wastewater treatment system as an
Ecofactory marks a significant achievement for the MMSD and a new
approach in America for Veolia, which is working across the country
to reimagine how wastewater treatment can benefit communities. As
the top-ranked company for environmental services, Veolia intends
to make the most of its global expertise to help America meet its
need for sustainable growth. Last week, the group announced its
ambition to double its size in the country by 2030.
An Ecofactory maximizes the value of the materials
produced at a wastewater treatment system, such as reclaimed
water used for agriculture or irrigation; waste heat or biogas used
for energy; biosolids used for fertilizer; and even energy produced
from on-site solar panels. An Ecofactory also optimizes those
processes to operate as efficiently as possible, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and waste. And an Ecofactory
consciously incorporates environmental and community stewardship
from the start: Protecting biodiversity, strengthening climate
resilience and creating new opportunities for green jobs and
economic sustainability.
Veolia has pioneered the Ecofactory approach in other operating
markets, working with existing systems to boost their benefits and
transform their roles within communities. In Santiago, Chile,
Veolia’s Ecofactory recovers 310 gigawatt-hours of energy from
wastewater to eliminate waste, fossil energy and pollution from its
treatment process. In Granada, Spain, all 4.8 billion gallons of
wastewater treated at Veolia’s Ecofactory are reused for
irrigation. With people across the planet demanding action to
preserve the world’s resources and counter a changing climate, the
Ecofactory framework is bringing practical solutions to the common
challenges that communities face everywhere.
Milwaukee leads in treating wastewater as a resource
The MMSD has taken an innovative approach to wastewater
treatment for nearly a century, adopting a then-novel European
treatment process in 1925 that used microorganisms to feed on
organic materials in wastewater and transformed them into
Milorganite® fertilizer. Building on this impressive track record,
Veolia and MMSD are exploring new opportunities to enhance
Milwaukee's water infrastructure through the Ecofactory approach.
Focusing on technical initiatives such as increased beneficial
reuse, solar energy production and biogas generation, the
Ecofactory partnership aims to maximize the regenerative and
decarbonizing potential of wastewater treatment, such as expanding
solar resources to help operate with 100 percent renewable
energy by 2035.
Veolia and MMSD support community infrastructure
The Ecofactory initiative goes beyond technical advancements to
recognize how the MMSD and Veolia have engaged deeply with
Milwaukee's communities, neighborhoods and needs. Together they
have focused on recruiting local workers from underrepresented
areas of Milwaukee and are increasing efforts to support workforce
grant initiatives, offer formal apprenticeships and increase access
to Veolia’s internal workforce development program.
The environmental benefits of the partnership are also visible
through initiatives that celebrate sustainability and biodiversity
in the greater Milwaukee region, from its green infrastructure
development to its aggressive goals to mitigate the effects of a
changing climate. It includes the Lynyrd Skymmr boat that cruises
Milwaukee’s waterways to skim floating debris from the surface and
improve water quality in the rivers and harbor.
The Ecofactory in Milwaukee is set to become a model for
sustainable water management and community involvement. Through
this partnership, the city of Milwaukee, Veolia and MMSD aim to
inspire other cities and organizations to adopt similar approaches,
driving positive change and contributing to a more sustainable
future.
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's ambition is to become the benchmark company for
ecological transformation. With nearly 218,000 employees on five
continents, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical
solutions for managing water, waste and energy that help to
radically change the world. Through its three complementary
activities, Veolia contributes to developing access to resources,
preserving available resources and renewing them. In 2023, the
Veolia group served 113 million people with drinking water and 103
million with wastewater services, produced 42 terawatt-hours of
energy and recovered 63 million metric tons of waste. Veolia
Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) generated consolidated sales of
€45.3 billion in 2023. www.veolia.com
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240423360362/en/
VEOLIA NORTH AMERICA Andi Kneeland
Communications and Community Relations Manager O:
414-747-3849 M: 414-232-9239 andi.kneeland@veolia.com
Veolia Environnement (EU:VIE)
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