After being selected in August this year, Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux's U.S. affiliate United Water Services signed today a 20-year agreement with the city of Atlanta to manage its water operations. This agreement is expected to save the city over US$400 million over the contract period.

The contract calls for operation and maintenance of the Hemphill and Chattahoochee water treatment facilities and of 4,500 kilometers of service mains and feeder lines serving a population of 1.5 million people. Total revenues are expected to be about US$430 million.

Gérard Mestrallet, CEO and President of the Executive Board of Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux said " This is the first time that a city in the USA, the size of Atlanta, has delegated its water services to the private sector. We are proud that a subsidiary of Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux has been selected to manage this important contract."

United Water Services is a leading provider of water and wastewater services in North America. The company is a 50/50 joint venture of United Water Resources, the second largest investor-owned water services company in the United States, providing water and wastewater services to about 7.5 million people in 19 states and Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux, a world leader in private infrastructure services and the international market leader in the water sector. The Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux group is present in 120 countries and, under the trade name of Lyonnaise des Eaux, is supplying drinking water to 75 million people.