2020 sustainable development report - Suez, NA
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2020 north america sustainable development report
a word from
Nadine Leslie, CEO
SUEZ North America
B 20202020
sustainability report
sustainability report
It is such a simple yet grand statement that the Brundtland Commission provided to the United Nations
to define sustainable development:
“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.”
While the definition is simple and elegant, it hardly communicates the difficulty associated with the
steps required to achieve this collective goal. In fact, when you look at the last two decades in particular,
it is more difficult than ever imagined especially since economic growth has mostly come at the expense
of the environment.
With the Biden Administration’s recommitment to the Paris Agreement in April of 2021, the United
States has pledged to significantly cut carbon emissions by the year 2030. SUEZ North America
pledges to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 to align with the United States commitment and
to lead the industry in the fight against climate change.
This is part of our carefully planned strategy to embrace Sustainable Development. That means using
resources more efficiently, with utmost consideration of both immediate and long-term benefits for
the communities and people we serve.
Now, as we embark on a new decade, SUEZ North America is focused on rolling out a more ambitious
roadmap for 2021-2030; one that fully aligns with the Paris Agreement and guarantees a more
sustainable and ethical future. We fully believe that a sustainable society must be socially responsible,
focusing on environmental protection in concert with our human and natural systems.
I am proud to present this report, which highlights the main achievements of our team in 2020, inspired
by our 2017-2021 Sustainability Roadmap. SUEZ North America has seen major improvements in
Diversity & Inclusion, Health & Safety, resource preservation and energy and waste reduction. Every
day, SUEZ North America collaborates with our customers to deliver sustainable solutions that solve
serious problems. Our commitment to our customers and the environment is essential to our success.
As you continue reading, you will see how SUEZ North America:
• Increased employee engagement and improved employee sentiment through structured focus
groups and targeted surveys
• Reduced water usage by 86% over 3 years in Nassau County, New York, by using Ultraviolet
technology to treat and reuse effluent
• Reduced the amount of sewage by five tons a day and reclaimed more than 250 billion gallons of
water to date in drought-prone Southern California
• Promoted biodiversity and ecosystem services by protecting the oyster population in Norwalk, CT
And many more examples!
We look forward to helping you implement tailored, sustainable solutions within your operations. In
the meantime, please enjoy reading about our sustainability journey so far. We hope you join us soon!
Thank you,
20202020
sustainability report
sustainability report
1 1
about SUEZ North America
22 2020
2020sustainability
sustainabilityreport
report
15
regulated water
utilities
3,000 67
public-private
employees
partnerships
$1.1
billion in revenue
160,000
$ 6.7
tons of waste recycled million people served
by water & wastewater
operations
6,000
asset management
contracts
Based on 2020 data.
2020 sustainability report 33
2020 sustainability report
contents
priority : be a 1 p.6
collaborative, open and
responsible company
commitment 1: promoting diversity and well-being in the workplace
commitment 2: acting to ensure health and safety in the workplace
commitment 3: fostering collaborative and working partnerships
commitment 4: mastering the stakes linked to globalization
priority : 3 p.20
support with concrete
solutions the environmental
transition of our clients
commitment 9: putting forward 100% sustainable solutions
commitment 10: accelerating the digital revolution in water & waste solutions for agriculture, industry, cities & citizens
commitment 11: innovating to develop decentralized or modular solutions for the territories of the planet
commitment 12: sustaining trust by reinforcing the means for inclusive governance
44
COVID-19 Response
2020 sustainability report
p.32
2020 sustainability report
priority : be 2 p.12
the leader of the
circular and
low-carbon economy
commitment 5: adhering to a global target of 2 degrees by mitigating causes of climate change
commitment 6: adapting to the causes of climate change on water
commitment 7: promoting material recycling, recovery and reuse
commitment 8: developing climate responsible models
priority : 4 p.26
contribute to the
common good
commitment 13: acting for the health of the environment and the protection of the oceans
commitment 14: promoting biodiversity and ecosystem services
commitment 15: advancing access to essential services
commitment 16: contributing to local development and territorial attractiveness
commitment 17: strengthening sustainable development implementation with the SUEZ WAY
Charitable Contributions/Outreach p. 36
2020 sustainability report
2020 sustainability report
55
priority 1:
be a collaborative,
open and
responsible company
6
2020 sustainability report
6
2020 sustainability report
commitment one
promoting diversity and well-being in the workplace
Understanding Employee Needs through Focus Groups
Few can remember, let alone have experienced, a period of such incredible community activism and demand for
justice than what occurred during the summer of 2020. SUEZ felt it was not only necessary, but also imperative, to
take action. Following the events of the summer, SUEZ’ Diversity & Inclusion council teamed up with the Human
Resources Leadership Team to provide employees with a safe space to discuss and navigate the tumultuous climate
that was currently surrounding North America.
The best way to understand employee needs is by creating an environment that encourages open communication
and by exhibiting a willingness to listen. SUEZ decided to hold a series of focus groups to better understand
employee experiences and concerns. After undergoing intensive training, the Human Resources Leadership Team
was equipped to facilitate effective discussions surrounding difficult conversations.
The focus groups were conducted in tandem with anonymous surveys for employees who could not participate
in the live discussion. After gathering feedback from 80 total participants and conducting five sessions of focus
groups, the Diversity & Inclusion council evaluated the results to identify recurring themes, common concerns,
and shared experiences.
The results of the survey were insightful and enabled the Diversity & Inclusion council to build its 2021 strategic
plan based off the feedback from SUEZ employees. The results were used to design new training and provide
new resources that could be used to educate SUEZ employees during 2021. Not only was the study important to
acknowledge the immediate needs of employees, but it also helps to prioritize a conversation that has been long
overdue in the United States. The Diversity & Inclusion Council knows that there is still so much work to be done,
but they are optimistic about what can be accomplished in partnership with our employees.
Employee Composition 12%
under 30 years old
21% 13.9%
47%
female all levels people of color manager level
(unchanged from 2019) (up from 12.2% in 2019)
over 30 years old
23.3% 17.5%
female manager level people of color all levels 41%
(up from 22.7% in 2019) (unchanged from 2019)
50 years and above
7
2020 sustainability report
7
2020 sustainability report
commitment two
acting to ensure health and safety in the workplace
Burbank Safety First Calendar, Making Safety Personal
Over the course of 2020, SUEZ North America found an increased need for promoting safety both at home and at work.
Our Burbank team launched a small project to emphasize that safety extends beyond the workplace.
Families are a big part of why our employees come to work every day. Being safe at work means you get to go home and continue
to be there for your loved ones. That’s why the Burbank team encouraged participation from our employees and their children,
nieces, nephews, adult children, parents and loved ones to put together a project-wide 2021 Safety First calendar.
Family members of the Burbank staff submitted original
drawings that illustrate health and safety best practices.
The campaign received 21 entries and 12 entries were selected
by the Safety Committee to be included in the calendar.
The calendar was published and circulated to the Burbank
Project employees.
Burbank is committed to making Safety Always their top
priority. The calendar ultimately improves safety through
best practices sharing and employee engagement. Safety
is a personal choice, the Safety First calendar is a unique
opportunity to engage and support this choice. Increased
safety awareness and a culture of open communication can
prevent an injury before it happens. The health and safety
of our employees is paramount to the overall success of
SUEZ North America. That’s why we are strongly committed
to zero injuries and ensuring that the people who
contribute to SUEZ are safe everywhere, at all times.
Safety First Calendar
SUEZ North America Safety Performance
2% 36% 40%
Reduction Reduction Reduction
In Recordable Injuries In Injury Frequency Rates In Injury Severity Rates
8
2020 sustainability reportcommitment three
fostering collaborative and working partnerships
Collaboration Across Digital Barriers
Fostering collaborative and working partnerships is the foundation of our business model.
As a producer of collective intelligence and innovation, SUEZ North America is committed
to developing a culture that provides the best solutions to our clients. Although 2020 posed
unprecedented challenges, SUEZ North America’s commitment to its customers remained
unwavering. In fact, the increased challenge of COVID-19 encouraged better collaboration
and resulted in stronger partnerships, even with our newest clients.
In July 2020 we began a new partnership to operate and manage the Weir River Water
System in Hingham, MA. This procurement, similar in nature to 2020 itself, was unlike
any other. Another provider had owned the system’s assets for years; the Town had
recently purchased their assets back and now owned their water system for the first time
since 1879. Hingham was in search of a reputable provider to operate and maintain its
water treatment and distribution assets. SUEZ was awarded the contract but offered Project Scope
much more value than your typical O&M service provider.
Our team consisted of a dedicated and diverse selection of SUEZ North America experts.
WATER TREATMENT
With a brief five-week mobilization period prior to Commencement Date, the goal was 7.7 MGD with 1 Facility
simple: prepare and facilitate the smooth transition of operation and maintenance
activities for the new contract and support the newly formed organization. The Town
of Hingham leadership requested our assistance in creating both their brand and all
customer communication materials – much more than our typical startup scope.
The challenges were unique to the nature of the contract; access to site data and
documents were limited, delays from negotiations between the Town of Hingham and
the previous provider and COVID-19 added more constraints with travel restrictions,
WATER DISTRIBUTION
limiting the number of people gathering, etc. ~ 192 Miles of Network
Within five short weeks, the outcomes were priceless. The Hingham team successfully
transitioned the ownership of the system while maintaining operations without a single
setback. A new brand identity was created and launched to the community through an
education campaign. The local teams were completely integrated into the SUEZ North
America workforce. The water plant and distribution system were fully operational on
Day One and within a few weeks all systems were implemented (e.g. Hach WIMS,
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Intelex, CMMS), several procedures, plans, manuals were developed and implemented, 18 Employees
and transition obligations and deliverables were met in a timely and efficient manner to Serving
the City of Hingham’s satisfaction.
35,000 residents
To celebrate, we proudly held a digital Day One Ceremony with our client and external
stakeholders, our mobilization team and newly on-boarded SUEZ local operational teams.
This event was appreciated by the Town of Hingham who stated this was clearly innovative
and showed resilience in the COVID-19 context. While the contract startup was unique,
the above and beyond typical work the North America team delivered has been highly
appreciated by the new Weir River Water System, strengthening our reputation even more.
9
2020 sustainability report10
10 2020 sustainability report
2020 sustainability reportcommitment four
mastering the stakes linked to globalization
Cybersecurity Awareness is Essential to our Business
We have seen that the internet and cyberspace play an essential
and positive role in shaping the global economy. As SUEZ North
America expands its services and reach, the increased need for
cybersecurity awareness is imperative.
With the present acceleration of the digitization of global enterprises,
supported by the quick adoption of evolving technologies and the
increased access to information, the threat of cybercrime to global
organizations has never been more imminent. SUEZ North America
knows access to secure and accurate information is indispensable
in conducting business. Yet, significant threats of data disruptions
from cybercriminals—facilitated by mobility and global openness
requirements—now require a more stringent approach to
information security than ever before.
In 2017, SUEZ North America launched a company-wide
cybersecurity training program to better equip our employees
to identify and handle any potential breaches. Cybersecurity
training is as much of a benefit to all of us personally as it is to SUEZ.
The most frequent and harmful breaches to information security
have occurred by taking advantage of an authorized network user.
Since its launch date, the Cybersecurity Awareness campaign
has been an incredible success. 2020 was a record year for
cybersecurity awareness training participation. SUEZ North
America launched 28,691 training assignments seeing a 71%
completion rate across 2,858 active users. Topics covered
through the program include SIM card hacking, business email
compromises, email attachment threats, 401k frauds and more.
Our employees are committed to creating the safest environment for
our business; this commitment extends to the workplace, at home
and into cyberspace. Our cybersecurity training program grows every
year and we look forward to even greater adoption in years to come.
11
2020 sustainability report 11
2020 sustainability reportpriority 2:
be the leader of the circular and
low-carbon economy
12
12 2020 sustainability report
2020 sustainability report13
13
2020 sustainability report
2020 sustainability reportcommitment five
adhering to a global target of 2 degrees by
mitigating causes of climate change
NO-DES TRUCK
NO-DES Trailer Unit,
pictured above
Direction of NO-DES
Circulating Flow
General Direction of General Direction of
Distribution System Flow Distribution System Flow
NO-DES Filtration Truck
14
14
2020 sustainability reportImproving our New Jersey Fleet with NO-DES Filtration Trucks
Our New Jersey operations faced a weighty problem: How could it simultaneously increase customer
satisfaction, save money, and protect the environment? Improving the SUEZ vehicle fleet has been an
ongoing project that has seen much success. In 2020, our Utility Division purchased a NO-DES Water
Conservation truck for our Hackensack, NJ location. NO-DES stands for Neutral Output Discharge
Elimination System and it is a distribution system flushing method that prevents wasting water.
The truck offers many benefits including improved water quality, reduced costs, minimized water
loss, and reduced energy consumption.
Why do we need to flush water distribution systems? Understanding the problem is imperative in order
to understand the impact of the new truck. We flush water distribution systems to scour deposits and
sediments from the pipes to improve water quality. There are several solutions to this problem. One
solution is Conventional Flushing, which involves open hydrants without isolating the pipe segments
flushed from the rest of the system. This method results in high water loss, does not guarantee adequate
velocities for effective sediment removal and may risk a pressure drop. Another solution is Unidirectional
Flushing, which isolates pipe segments flushed through the closure of valves and opening of strategic
hydrants. This method requires additional planning with the creation of a hydraulic model to theoretically
ensure adequate flushing velocities and pressures; it is thus more effective but still risks wasting water.
Enter the NO-DES truck.
The NO-DES truck can effectively flush the system without wasting water because of its unique design.
The truck is connected to two fire hydrants using water transfer hoses, creating an above-ground
loop. It pumps the water through the loop at high velocity, scouring and removing debris and biofilm
from the pipes, filters the water down to one micron and re-circulates the filtered water inside the
distribution system.
Since the NO-DES truck purchase in March 2020, SUEZ has flushed 6.4 million gallons over
105 miles while wasting no water, and has noted a 3.7% reduction in turbidity.
15
15
2020 sustainability reportcommitment six
adapting to the causes of climate change on water
Water Reuse System at Cedar Creek
In November 2017, SUEZ installed a water reuse
system using Ultraviolet (UV) technology to further
treat and reuse effluent at the Bay Park Sewage
Treatment Plant in East Rockaway, NY, adjacent to
environmentally fragile wetlands. Serving one of
the nation’s largest suburban regions, the system
uses UV to treat plant effluent to a higher level and
applies it as carrier water for bisulfate used during
dechlorination. This project went into operation in
February 2018, saving 26.3 million gallons of ground
water per year, and $140,000 annually. However,
this project was just the beginning of SUEZ’ larger
water reuse plans for Nassau County’s 1.3 million
Water Reuse System residents.
In September of 2019, a larger reuse system at
2018 Cedar Creek Water Reclamation Facility in Wantagh,
NY went online. The system treats plant effluent a
64,284,480 GALLONS second time using strainers to remove solids and UV
to provide disinfection. The highly treated effluent is
then used for various plant activities including gen-
erator cooling and tank washing. The system, funded
by SUEZ, cost roughly $1.1 million. This long-term
2019
cost-effective solution helps protect Long Island’s
sole-source aquifer, which is under pressure due
189,696,165 GALLONS to population density, pollution, and salt water
intrusion.
During the first 39 weeks of 2019, the Cedar Creek
plant used an average of 4,464,254 gallons of water
per week. During the same period in 2020, the plant
2020 used an average of 632,907 gallons of water per
week. The system has reduced water usage
26,438,965 GALLONS by roughly 85%.
SUEZ is in the early stages of constructing a similar
water reuse system at Bay Park which is being
Reducing Water Usage constructed in a manner to be used not only to
maintain the facility but to also irrigate an adjacent
by 86% in 3 years county golf course in the future.
.
1616 2020 sustainability report
2020 sustainability reportcommitment seven
promoting material recycling, recovery and reuse
Edmonton Materials Recovery Facility
In April 2014, SUEZ began operating the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The 64,000-square foot recycling plant—located at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre—is one of the largest
recycling facilities in Canada. The facility is known as a “clean MRF,” only accepting recyclable commingled
materials that have already been separated from other waste streams at the source from municipal solid waste.
Recyclable materials are sorted to specifications as a secondary raw material, then compacted, baled and prepared
for shipment to market. The plant is capable of processing approximately 45,000 tons of recycling-eligible items
such as paper, cardboard, plastic and metal annually.
SUEZ operates the MRF and the Edmonton High Solids Anerobic Digestion Facility as part of an integrated waste
management system which is unique in the world. Together, these facilities support the City’s goal to divert more
than 60% of residential waste from landfills. SUEZ also operates a Biosolids Dewatering Facility on behalf of the City
and their local utility, EPCOR. This facility is capable of dewatering over 10,000 dry tonnes of digested sludge derived
from EPCOR’s sludge lagoons. The dewatered biosolids are used in agricultural land application.
Materials Recovery Facility
2020 sustainability report
1717
2020 sustainability reportcommitment eight
developing climate responsible models
Smart SCADA Innovation Award 2020 Winner
Deploying software across the enterprise is straightforward, but making it work to deliver value is another story. Due to lack
of training and knowledge integration, the SUEZ North America Utility Division identified that traditional SCADA systems
do not genuinely transform the data. In order to leverage the technology’s full potential, our employee team built a smart
and transformative platform equipped with a work environment that thoroughly supports operator work. Enabling smart utility,
smart operation and SCADA crushed the information silos and transferred the information and knowledge in order to support
decision making to improve overall operational efficiency and system performance.
As the digital transformation evolves, industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing
technologies. It will be intelligent, resourceful and self-dependent, and it requires accurate/reliable data and an intuitive
SCADA and Automation system to securely support the advanced operation. Because the existing SCADA system and data
center did not support those requirements, it was necessary to re-engineer and build an innovative SCADA system and
data center in order to achieve a truly smart utility.
The goal of the smart SCADA project was to establish a basic set of SCADA standards and guidelines and an integrated
platform that transforms data and operational experience to information, knowledge and actions, to optimize the work
performance, improve operational efficiency and reduce energy consumption by:
• Improved utility performance and insight
• Intuitive and standardized SCADA interface to transform
data to knowledge
• Improved cyber security by designing a data center that
can be managed securely and remotely
• Reduced the operator training time from one year to
six months or less
• Enabled real-time data interaction with production report,
water quality, GIS and weather files
• Advanced training program by building a profound
understanding of technical process that bridges
the knowledge gap between new and senior operators
18
2020 sustainability report19 2020 sustainability report
priority 3:
support with concrete solutions
the environmental transition
of our clients
Environmental
Prolonging asset life
Extending coating system minimizes
environmental impact to air, water
and ground
$
Economic Social
Certainty that ongoing maintenance Maintenaning the assets help deliver
and future renovations are funded. best service to customers (no service
All maintenance risk associated to the interuptions, no boil orders).
tank (major capital asset) is Controlled operating costs do not
transferred to the provider (SUEZ). negatively impact water rates.
20
20 2020 sustainability report
2020 sustainability reportcommitment nine
putting forward 100% sustainable solutions
Naturally Sustainable Business Models
Our Advanced Solutions division’s Asset Management Program business model is a sustainable solution.The
program allows municipal utilities to keep their assets in good working condition for the long-term, ultimately
reducing operating costs and mitigating the effects of aging infrastructure.
Our Asset Management Program is a proactive and sustainable solution that yields environmental, economic
and social benefits. The program is applicable to all assets; water treatment plants, tanks, pipelines, meter,
and wastewater treatment plants.
How it works
100% of
Condition Assessment Upfront Renovation Preventative Maintenance
maintenance Yearly inspections, washouts or
To find out the condition of And design of a preventative
the asset maintanance schedule
risk is chemcial cleanings on year 1,
transferred year 2, year as per the plan
to SUEZ
Future Renovation
Year N+1
Liftime warranty on coatings*
No change orders and unplanned expenditures
Predictable budget and cost-certainty with annual fee
Cost of initial rehabilitation can br spread-out if necessary
Single-source responsibility
*For as long as tank is in the program
21
21
2020 sustainability report
2020 sustainability reportcommitment ten
accelerating the digital
revolution in water & waste solutions
for agriculture, industry, cities & citizens
Three Step Process Reduces Water Main Breaks
Reducing water main breaks and non-revenue water has been a major challenge and area
of focus for SUEZ in North America. Water main breaks can occur after any high and
fluctuating pressures within the distribution system, because of small underground
leaks deteriorating over time, or from aging infrastructure. We have developed a
three-step approach to reduce the number of water main breaks across our systems.
1
Preventative Maintenance:
Advanced Pressure Monitoring and Management: SUEZ’ CALM Network
a. Identifies and reduces sources of pressure transients
b. Highlights pressure management recommendations for long-term
reduction of mechanical stress on the assets
2
Proactive:
Advanced Leak Monitoring and Management
Acoustic correlation
a. High accuracy leak detection on water mains and service lines
b. Monitors leaks growth rate
3
Long-term:
Risk-based Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation Programming
a. Calculates likelihood and consequence of failure of each pipe
b. Develops capital improvement plans with risk-based prioritized actions
Offering these solutions is essential to our customers’ success. Together, these steps
reduce water loss, prevent water main breaks and extend the life of the assets. SUEZ in
North America will continue to propose unique, innovative solutions to accelerate the
digital revolution in water management for all our stakeholders.
8 57 74 2,432
Major Leaks Major Leaks Major Leaks
Detected Detected Detected Total
in 2018 in 2019 in 2020 Sensors
22
2020 sustainability reportcommitment eleven
innovating to develop
decentralized or modular
solutions for the territories
of the planet
Tailored Water Solves California Drought Issues
Since 1995, SUEZ and the West Basin Municipal Water District have been
working together to preserve potable water supplies in drought-prone
Southern California. The visionary recycled water program was designed to
conserve the limited supply of drinking water in the South Bay region of Los
Angeles, by tapping into the largest untapped waste category – wastewater.
By recycling treated wastewater that would have discharged into the Santa
Monica Bay, the facility reduces the amount of sewage by five tons a day and
has reclaimed more than 200 billion gallons of water to date.
SUEZ operates and maintains the 65.5 MGD Edward C. Little Water Recycling
Facility (40 MGD Title 22 Water, 8 MGD boiler feed water, 17.5 MGD aquifer
recharge water), an influent pump station, and three satellite advanced water
treatment plants for the Chevron, PBF (formerly ExxonMobil) and Marathon oil
refineries. These are among the biggest refineries on the West Coast. In 2020,
the partnership between SUEZ and West Basin was renewed for another five years.
In total, these facilities produce five “fit-for-purpose” types of water:
1. Barrier Water: Seawater intrusion into groundwater supplies remains a
threat due to the continuing population growth in California. To combat
this, the ECLWRF can produce up to 17.5 MGD of Barrier Product
water – water of equal or better quality than tap water – that is injected
continuously throughout 153 strategically-placed wells to protect the
West Coast Groundwater Basin from becoming saline. The program
recently received approval to inject 100% recycled water for this purpose
and is also moving towards indirect potable reuse.
2. Tertiary Water (Title 22) for a wide variety of industrial and irrigation uses.
3. Nitrified Water for industrial cooling towers of the oil refineries.
4. Single Pass Reverse Osmosis Water for refinery low pressure boiler
feed water.
5. Ultra-Pure Reverse Osmosis Water (2nd Pass RO) for refinery high
pressure boiler feed water.
The recurring droughts, demand exceeding local water sources, uncertain
limitations of imported water supplies, and the need for an assured supply of
water for local industries serve as main drivers for diversifying West Basin’s
water portfolio. Together with SUEZ, West Basin continues to lead the way in
securing this most vital resource.
2323
2020 sustainability reportcommitment twelve
sustaining trust by reinforcing the means for inclusive
Advanced Solutions Customer Feedback Loop
Our Advanced Solutions Quality Assurance team inherited a customer feedback program that had been in place for several
years. The program involved mailing postcards to customers for feedback and was limited to a nine-question survey that
was generic and not very insightful. This program would only achieve a 2-3% engagement rate. In 2020, our Quality
Assurance team decided it was time for a complete overhaul of our stakeholder engagement.
In order to expedite the process and to drive better insights, the team began using web-based surveys. The surveys
allowed the team to ask more targeted questions which were project-specific. Although engagement improved, there
was not enough data to make actionable inferences. Our Advanced Solutions division wanted to do more for our
customers, and so the program continued to evolve.
80-90% 98%
Customer Customer
Engagement Satisfaction Rate
Since 2020 Since 2020
24
2020 sustainability reporte governance
The head of Advanced Solutions Quality Assurance began to personally call clients in order to ask tailored questions
and identify new areas to improve. With the head of Quality Assurance making the calls, ample preparation was done
beforehand, making the call focused and effective. Often times, the conversation turns to discussing new opportunities
that could even better support our clients.
Through the new stakeholder dialogue program, Advanced Solutions has seen 80-90% engagement from the start date
in August 2020. Customers are excited about the new process and appreciate the personal touch to inclusive governance.
Overall, the program shows we have 98% Customer Satisfaction in our Advanced Solutions division. We offer a stake in
all our engagements and ensure total client satisfaction. Our job is to offer the customer the best possible service and
this program allows us to do exactly that.
25
2020 sustainability reportpriority 4:
contribute to the common good
26 2020 sustainability report
26
2020 sustainability reportcommitment thirteen
acting for the health of the environment and
the protection of the oceans
Reducing Pollution by Minimizing Sewer Overflows in Bayonne, NJ
SUEZ in North America seeks to protect the environment and oceans through all business processes and operations. In order
to prevent Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) and thus the release of untreated wastewater into the environment, SUEZ installed
six smart manhole covers in Bayonne, NJ in 2020. The installation of these covers has already prevented SSOs, including one on
September 14, 2020: the crew was alarmed of a major sewage blockage that was then jetted before it escalated.
The dual sensors in the smart manhole covers measure water levels and send real-time information to a web platform. If the
wastewater reaches dangerous levels, the standby crew is notified by email or text. The operators are then prepared to resolve
the issue and prevent an SSO, and in turn reduce water pollution.
In 2020, 19 smart covers were installed in sewers prone to overflow across five operations and have already prevented several
harmful SSOs.
SmartCover SSO Prevention
Satellite
Communication
High-Pressure
Water
Web Platform
Jetting
Level
Measurement
Work Order
Email,
Text Message
Alarm Sent to
Standby Crew 19 Units
Implemented
in 2020
2020 sustainability report 27
27
2020 sustainability reportcommitment fourteen
promoting biodiversity and ecosystem services
Protecting the Norwalk, CT Coastline
SUEZ North America started our partnership with the City of Norwalk, CT in May of 2020. Norwalk is a coastal community on the
Long Island Sound. One of the features of the City of Norwalk is the shellfish oyster farms and harvesting. In order to protect
the oyster population of Norwalk, SUEZ works closely with the City and harvesters to make sure the species is protected.
Oysters are very sensitive aquatic creatures who are vulnerable to poor quality water. In order to ensure the oysters are not harmed
by our business, we work in partnership with the Harbor Watch environmental group. Together SUEZ and the group review harbor
sampling analysis, conduct tours of the facility and workshop with students at the local community college.
In order to monitor the safety of the oyster population, SUEZ has a 24-hour notification protocol with shellfish harvesters, the
Department of Agriculture and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. We work to maintain a strong relationship
with harvesters and regulators to protect the oyster population. Due to our dedication, the oyster business has been able to thrive
since the start of our project in May 2020.
10-year contract
Operations & Mainteneance
wastewater treatment
and collection system
18-MGD
conventional wastewater
treatment facility
210 miles
sanitary sewer
25 pump stations
89,000
population served
28
2020 sustainability reportcommitment fifteen
advancing access to essential services
SUEZCares
Wherever SUEZ North America does business—and in many places we
don’t—we work to ensure that residents have access to the essential services
of drinking water and sanitation. This assistance takes many different forms.
Since November 2005, North America’s SUEZCares program has assisted
customers experiencing economic hardship pay their water and sewer bill.
Once qualified for the program, administered by a third-party organization,
customers can receive up to $100 toward their SUEZ bill. SUEZ customers
can visit any number of local agencies to apply for the assistance.
Through December 2020, 11,147 customers have received assistance totaling
$911,642 through SUEZCares. On average, each customer has received
$87.24 in assistance per request. Across the country, 697 customers
received assistance for their water bill in 2020, totaling $76,202 in grants.
11,147
Utility
customers
received assistance
$ 911,642
in assistance through
SUEZCares
$76,202
in grants through
SUEZCares
29
2020 sustainability reportcommitment sixteen
contributing to local development and
territorial attractiveness
City of Youngstown, OH, Spray-in-Place Pipe
The City of Youngstown, OH Water Department services over 52,000 accounts – a population over 125,000 people – spread over seven
communities. In order to effectively serve its clients, the Department has adopted a forward-thinking, proactive, and best practices
approach to the maintenance of its assets. That includes utilizing an Asset Management Program (AMP) to keep its key infrastructure
in optimal condition, starting with repair, rehabilitation, and maintenance of its seven water tanks – five of which have now been fully
renovated to “as new” condition by our North America’s Advanced Solutions division.
As in many other communities throughout the United States, the City of Youngstown’s distribution system is aging. One of the
related issues the city faced was the appearance of discoloration in the water in some parts of the system, accompanied by
complaints from concerned customers. The City explored a number of different ways to eradicate the problem and found our
spray-in-place pipe (SIPP) rehab program a perfect solution.
SIPP is an efficient and long-lasting pipe rehabilitation solution that scrubs underground pipes clean and then uses a
state-of-the-art, computer-controlled robotic spray rig to apply an internal epoxy pipe lining on-site. The epoxy coating
applied by SUEZ is NSF-approved for use in potable water systems. Once it has cured, the epoxy lining seals the pipe,
preventing leaks and water contamination, and extending the pipes’ service life. This solution also minimizes future
maintenance costs and increases the flow capacity for greater system efficiency, most important for firefighting.
Over the last three years, the Water Department identified 3,000 - 4,000 feet of pipe in low usage or dead-end streets, where
the flow is below average. As a result, there is the possibility of increased tuberculation in these pipes – mineral build-up over
the years – which can cause things like discolored water that result in customer complaints.
The Youngstown Water Department decided to apply our innovative SIPP solution to rehab and repair pipes in these locations
and in 2019, it tackled six streets of 2,400 feet of pipe. Because it was so successful, the department then budgeted to rehab an
additional 2,900 feet of pipe in 2020.
An additional and important advantage of SIPP is that it minimizes inconvenience to consumers by relining water pipes rather
than digging them up and replacing them. Excavation on SIPP projects is about 3% of excavation on traditional dig-and-replace
projects. The significant cutback of excavation and backfill shortens the traditional construction schedules for this type of work
and makes the work safer. The epoxy lining seals the pipe, leaving no annular space for water to leak. The lining prevents
corrosion, improving water quality.
30
2020 sustainability reportcommitment seventeen
strengthening sustainable development
implementation with the SUEZ WAY
Driving Innovative Solutions for Municipalities
SUEZ North America created the New Offerings Team in 2020 to better serve our clients in the Environmental Services division.
The team’s objective is to identify, test, commercialize and implement innovative solutions in our Operation and Maintenance
contracts in order to solve our clients’ municipal infrastructure challenges.
The New Offerings Team works alongside industry experts, as well as SUEZ leaders and stakeholders, to make infrastructure
more resilient and more affordable. In today's context of aging infrastructures, increasing regulations and customer requirements
for transparency, these innovative solutions are a stepping-stone to more sustainable water services. SUEZ in North America is
committed to preparing our clients for this digital revolution.
The New Offerings Team’s impact extends beyond our client relationships. In addition to implementing these solutions, the team
organizes and hosts Technology Break webinars. These are biweekly internal meetings that keep our employees apprised of new
technologies and solutions being implemented across our operations. In doing so, we are able to share best practices, identify similar
pain points across locations and celebrate unique wins and accomplishments. Since the start of the Technology Break in May 2020,
there have been 33 webinars, with up to 90 participants representing all divisions.
Refurbishment
Part Sales
After Sales Care
Management
Technical
Assistance
& Training Audits,
Inspections
& Consulting
Maintenance
& Repair
31
2020 sustainability reportCOVID-19 response:
prioritizing the health and wellness of our employees
As COVID-19 began to close schools, offices and day-to-day life around the world, SUEZ North America
wanted to help employees as much as possible. In an effort to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on our
workforce, SUEZ North America collaborated with Hackensack Meridian Health in their Keeping America
Safe Program. The program is designed to prepare New Jersey-based businesses for reopening after the
pandemic subsides. In addition, the partnership provided support and guidance throughout the pandemic.
As part of the COVID-19 response initiate, SUEZ North America established a Business Recovery Plan to
provide employees with better direction and reassurance as we faced the crisis. The document provides
guidance to SUEZ employees for managing operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specific guidance has been developed based upon qualifying
criteria used to establish a series of threat levels. The plan has
been endorsed by Hackensack Meridian Health and we continue
to work with subject matter experts to maintain best practices.
As part of the COVID-19 management initiative, SUEZ established
10 Hygiene Rules. We strongly encouraged and enforced the
acceptance of these rules among our employees. Adopting these
practices and helping to end the virus spread were essential to
our COVID-19 response. As the pandemic continues to subside, we
strongly encourage our employees to continuethese best practices
and encourage their coworkers to do so as well.
32
2020 sustainability reportFostering Community in a Time of Isolation
As the COVID-19 crisis built a digital barrier between our employees, the Human Resources team was looking for ways to create
community. After conducting a company-wide survey, it was discovered that many employees shared concerns about social isolation,
staying physically fit and general anxiety on how coronavirus was impacting their lives. The Human Resources Team worked with
teams across the organization to launch a new program called: SUEZ Community Groups.
This program is focused on providing employees with opportunities to virtually connect with fellow SUEZ employees across
North America. Each of these groups host virtual “coffee talk” sessions to share stories, feelings, and resources based on a
certain topic. Virtual sessions are limited to approximately 15-20 participants to ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to share,
but anyone can join one or multiple groups! The groups offered topics that included:
• SUEZ Parents - Are you struggling working from home with children? Do you have funny stories, pictures or videos to share? Or
maybe resources that could help others in your situation?
• Cooking & Baking - Do you have your own sourdough starter? Have you mastered the perfect recipe? Sign up to chat with fellow
cooks and bakers, share recipes and more.
• Mindfulness - Take a deep breath and join fellow coworkers looking for some relaxation and stress relief in these troubling times.
• Gardening - Whether you’re planting flowers, vegetables or fruits, you’re not alone. Chat with colleagues who share your
passion for planting.
• What We’re Watching - Have you watched ALL of Netflix? Come join and talk about what “Must See TV” is on at your house.
The program was essential in connecting employees during the heightened stress of COVID-19, however, it also allows us to create
community with working groups across the entire United States; allowing our workforce to be more connected than ever before.
33
2020 sustainability report34
34 2020sustainability
2020 sustainabilityreport
reportCOVID-19 pulls back the curtain on SUEZ North America’s
readiness to collaborate digitally
COVID-19 disrupted services and business operations around the world. Although many business models can transition to a fully
remote model without effecting their customers, SUEZ is an essential water utility, so we had to make sure all systems continued to
operate and provide a safe, reliable water supply. This involved catering to the "new norm" for essential workers on-site, operating
our plants and fixing any issues (i.e main breaks) that were worst hit by COVID-19. Continuing services, along with the addition of all
support and customer service staff remotely working from home, was a unique challenge. Luckily, SUEZ North America’s Business
Technology Services (BTS) department was prepared.
The digital transformation and investment the BTS team delivered over the past three years really paid off by keeping our business
running, who in turn kept the water flowing for our customers throughout the pandemic. This digital transformation included building
the largest automated smart water network in the United States; deploying a tablet-based, CIS-integrated, mobile work management
system; launching an enterprise-wide asset management system for above/below-ground assets, delivering the largest cloud-based
GIS in the water industry; and enhancing engagement via a new customer-facing portal and contact center experience. Linking our
customers, employees, suppliers and IoT together digitally supported our customer centricity, growth and optimization business
strategic goals.
In addition to the smooth transition to digital, our customer service programs exhibited impeccable levels of resiliency during the
crisis. All nine customer service centers across the country were redeployed to work from home, utilizing the investments in
cloud telephony and IVR technology. The service levels for all these centers were not impacted and surprisingly improved during
the pandemic.
2020 sustainability report 35
35
2020 sustainability reportcharitable contributions and community outreach
3636
2020 sustainability reportIn the face of a pandemic that has created unprecedented suffering across the United States and
Canada, SUEZ, which operates in North America as SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions and
SUEZ North America, earmarked a donation of $1.75 million which was directed to food pantries,
health care facilities, United Way, and similar COVID-19 emergency response organizations.
We redirected our philanthropic focus during this crisis from major environmental initiatives to
helping those charitable organizations serving on the front lines who require immediate, substantial,
and sustained assistance. This virus has had a huge impact on our society and and SUEZ could not
remain idle as an organization when so many people, many of whom have dedicated their lives to
helping others, needed our help.
SUEZ contributed to several organizations that had an immediate impact on communities throughout
North America.
• United Way – SUEZ donated $650,000 to United Way. A majority of those funds helped support
COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts and help prevent homelessness for families struggling
during the health crisis. Additional funding was dedicated to providing goods and services to
those in need and provided crisis intervention training for first responders with a special
focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Feeding America® – SUEZ donated $500,000 to the U.S. hunger-relief organization,
Feeding America. Funds provided emergency support to help member food banks respond
to significant increases in need amid disruptions to the food supply chain and the requirement
to pivot to no-contact food distributions. Support was prioritized to help food-insecure families
in communities where SUEZ operates throughout America.
• Local public health organizations – SUEZ donated $600,000 to help address local COVID-19
health needs, as well as non-profit community health organizations in both the U.S. and
Canada. Grant funding was provided to finance innovative COVID-19 research, help address
urgent COVID-19 related health needs at the community level, and reduce health disparities
for patients in need, particularly in underserved communities.
• Surgical and N95 respirator masks – SUEZ donated 10,000 protective masks from its
operations into local hospital systems in communities the company serves.
37
2020 sustainability reportNorth American Headquarters
SUEZ
61 From Road
Suite 400
Paramus, New Jersey
07652
www.suez-na.com
World Headquarters
SUEZ
Tour CB21
16, place de l’Iris
92040 Paris La Defense Cedex
+33 (0)158 81 20 00
www.suez.com
© Getty Images / Christoph Wagner
06 2021
38
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