Veolia has achieved a significant milestone in its Latin American expansion with the initiation of a long-term initiative aimed at modernizing water and sanitation infrastructure. This project seeks to enhance the resilience of essential services and bolster environmental security for 866,000 residents of Cúcuta, one of Colombia’s largest urban areas. Building on over two decades of successful waste management in Cúcuta, the municipality has entrusted Veolia with this new responsibility for water management starting July 2026.
This contract is projected to generate approximately €100 million in average annual revenue over the next 20 years, further solidifying Colombia’s status as a vital market for Veolia in the region. Cúcuta, situated in northeastern Colombia, is currently grappling with increasing water challenges due to rapid urbanization, climate change, and persistent water shortages, making the development of resilient water infrastructure a strategic imperative.
The project encompasses an ambitious plan to address these challenges and enhance the city’s water infrastructure by ensuring supply security, expanding storage capabilities, modernizing treatment facilities, renewing distribution networks, minimizing leaks, and upgrading sanitation systems. A primary goal is to reduce water losses from the existing 42% to below 30%, bringing performance levels closer to those of leading utilities in Latin America. This transformation will be facilitated by advanced water technologies and a comprehensive strategy for reducing water loss, which includes systematic leak detection using He Tracer, hydraulic sectorization, dynamic pressure control, network renewal, cadastral updates, and meter replacements. These efforts aim to improve resource efficiency, alleviate pressure on natural ecosystems, and enhance the region’s environmental security through more sustainable services.
“This landmark contract demonstrates the trust in Veolia’s capability to meet the urgent needs of cities with innovative, cost-effective, and resilient environmental solutions. Colombia is a strategic market for our Group in Latin America, and this partnership underscores our commitment to enhancing environmental security by ensuring reliable access to essential services, conserving resources, and supporting communities as they adapt to climate change and urban growth. We are honored to assist the municipality of Cúcuta in providing safe, high-quality drinking water while balancing quality, performance, and affordability for its residents,” stated Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia.
Veolia has been active in Colombia for 30 years, employing over 7,800 individuals to deliver water services to 2.7 million people across 17 operations, and providing waste management services to more than 5.3 million individuals across 36 operations. The Group also runs eight Smart Ecological Management Centers (CIGE), develops circular economy solutions for waste recovery, and implements energy efficiency and self-generation projects in major cities such as Cartagena and Barranquilla.
Source: Veolia
