Veolia begins work on a 1 MW photovoltaic installation for a wastewater treatment plant in Arvin, California.

The cities of Arvin, California, and Veolia North America have begun work on a new 1 MW solar energy facility that will meet the entire power needs of the city’s wastewater treatment plant and eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from power generation. Because energy can account for as much as 30% of water treatment costs, this project provides economic and environmental benefits.

“This project will save the city thousands of dollars on annual energy bills and is a great green energy project for Arvin,” said Jeff Jones, Arvin city manager.

Veolia North America, a subsidiary of the Veolia Group, offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery.

Veolia has been operating and maintaining the Arvin Wastewater Treatment Plant for over ten years. Last year, the city and Veolia began talks on the use of renewable energy to reduce costs and improve the reliability of plant operations as part of the company’s GreenUp strategy, which aims to position Veolia as a driver of technological innovation. The project is being financed through a combination of low-interest city financing and the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

“Forward-thinking cities like Arvin recognize that water and energy are finite resources that must be conserved for long-term societal benefits,” said Patrick Schultz, Veolia CEO of Sustainable Industries and Buildings. “Such projects are part of our “Ecological” strategy. Veolia is uniquely positioned to help cities and industries improve their operations while achieving their sustainability goals.”

Arvin has long been a leader in sustainable development among cities. Leaders in the country in the number of electric vehicle charging stations per capita and the first city to introduce a fully electric city bus fleet. This decarbonized wastewater treatment plant is just the latest in a series of energy and greenhouse gas reduction projects undertaken by the city.

“Arvin is a small rural community in Kern County that can make significant progress in transitioning its fleet to electric, solar and electric charging,” said Christine Viterelli, grants manager at Arvin, which is pioneering energy efficiency projects in the city and fleet transformation from 2016. “Every renewable energy project implemented will have an impact on reducing air pollution and greenhouse gases.”

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