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a profession’s essential reference works since the 50s

The Water Treatment Handbook, through its many revised editions, has become one of the profession’s essential reference works. This new edition has been published in a particularly critical background in terms of water problems: scarcity and quality degradation of water resources.

SUEZ’s teams have turned to these problems as a major theme that enables them to contribute to the development of the new and innovative solutions that will be used to safeguard our future and secure the resource.

There is no doubt that much progress has been achieved in terms of international exchanges and of the publication of reference documents and this progress has laid the institutional, financial and technical foundations for resolving problems that exist throughout the world: in the South, the need to provide many populations with drinking water and to treat wastewater; in the North, taking stock of the new territorial schemes that are emerging, with towns that continue to extend, industrial and agricultural operations that are consuming more and more of this precious resource, discharges into the natural environment that durably contaminate waterways and aquifers.

Many avenues have been explored for finding ways of preserving the resource, of providing quality water to as many as possible, of limiting the impact made by Man’s activities on the natural environment. However, without what Michel Camdessus terms a “revolution in the behaviour of actors in the water system”, it will be impossible to provide those who currently do not enjoy it, with this most essential right which is access to drinking water.

More than ever, each has his role to play according to his field of expertise. Since 1939, the men and women of SUEZ are specialist of the water treatment. These experts design, construct and operate drinking water production plants as well as reverse osmosis desalination units, plants used to remove pollution and reuse wastewater, and for treating sludge produced by the wastewater treatment system.

Each edition of the Water Treatment Handbook has formalised this expertise, making it state-of-the art. These editions also continue a long tradition: in effect, in 1950, Degrémont laid the cornerstone for a true water treatment science, thus taking knowledge forward in a field where excellence relies on technologies. By providing all its readers with the technical means required to identify and understand the solutions offered, this work also promoted a true spirit of partnership between SUEZ and the actors in the system.

an enriched digital version

In this digital edition, we obviously find the historical content of the Volume 1 and 2 of the previous version, updated and supplemented by our experts. They are respectively under “Water and generalities” and "Processes and technologies."

  • "Water and generalities" includes the fundamental concepts of the different water treatment processes and technologies, their context, a reminder of the main analysis used to appraise the quality of water and its suitability for treatment, to select appropriate materials, in contact with the water.
  • "Processes and technologies", includes a description of degremont® processes and technologies and the treatment files appropriate to each use of the water.
  • The previous Chapter 8 is now a special section: "Formulary and tools".

This new version has been enriched with practical case studies and the degremont® innovations and technologies catalogue.

For over ten years, needs, requirements, standards and, therefore, technologies, have moved on. Our readers will not fail to notice these changes in chapters regarding biological processes, separation by membranes, liquid sludge treatment, dewatered sludge treatment, drinking water treatment, treating municipal wastewater, treatment and conditionning of industrial water.

We hope that you will find this Handbook a valuable tool that will always be by your side. We also hope that it will help you share the passion the men and women of SUEZ feel for their discipline, and their pride in their work. Full actors in the resource revolution, they are wholeheartedly devoted to providing their clients with concrete, innovative and efficient solutions.