Veolia wins €1 billion water services contract in Barcelona

Veolia has been awarded a 25-year contract worth over €1 billion to manage drinking water services for eight municipalities within the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). The contract covers regions including Cervelló, Corbera de Llobregat, La Palma de Cervelló, Molins de Rei, Sant Andreu de la Barca, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Ripollet, and Tiana, serving approximately 230,000 residents.

The Barcelona Metropolitan Council approved the concession after verifying that Veolia’s subsidiary, Sociedad General de Aguas de Barcelona (SGAB), met the required technical and economic solvency standards. Although the bidding process faced controversy regarding whether the economic proposal constituted an unnaturally low bid, the AMB determined that the company provided sufficient justification.

Planned improvements under the new agreement include the deployment of a new leak detection system, the establishment of digitized operating centers, modernization of meter fleets, installation of remote reading devices, and the electrification of the company's vehicle fleet.