French utility group Suez is to operate the water treatment plant of the Mohawk Valley Water Authority in New York State under a €14 million contract running for the next five years.

The contract extends Suez’s activity in the state beyond the 33 municipalities for which it already provides water or wastewater services. The group supplies water to 550,000 people and wastewater services to more than one million people in six counties. Under its latest contract, Suez will operate and maintain a 121,000m³ plant to supply 127,000 people in Utica and the neighbouring towns in Oneida and Herkimer counties.

Suez will also carry out a full assessment of the authority’s existing infrastructure and pilot new treatment solutions to ensure regulatory compliance, supporting the authority with its capital improvement programme.

Suez’s current activity in New York State covers Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties. In the case of Nassau County, on Long Island, Suez operates and manages what it says is the largest public-private partnership for water and wastewater services in the US.

In a statement released by Suez, the company says the latest contract is in line with its development strategy for North America, which will be strengthened by the integration of GE Water within the group.