SUEZ Awarded Largest India Water Infrastructure Project to Upgrade and Operate Salem Water Network Through 2052

SUEZ Awarded Largest India Water Infrastructure Project to Upgrade and Operate Salem Water Network Through 2052

(IN BRIEF) SUEZ has been awarded a EUR 456 million, 25-year concession contract by the Salem City Municipal Corporation to modernize and operate the water supply system for more than one million residents in Salem, Tamil Nadu. The project, which will begin operations in 2027, includes large-scale rehabilitation and expansion of the city’s water infrastructure, such as upgrading treatment plants, replacing 1,800 kilometers of pipelines, constructing new reservoirs, and installing water meters to connect over 234,000 households. The concession will combine design, construction, and long-term operation, supported by advanced digital monitoring systems and performance-based targets to ensure continuous water supply and improved efficiency. The contract represents SUEZ’s largest project in India and reinforces its strong position in the country’s municipal water sector, where the company already provides services to approximately 65 million people across multiple cities.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARIS, 25-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — SUEZ has secured a 25-year concession contract to provide comprehensive water services to more than one million residents in Salem, Tamil Nadu, marking the company’s largest project in India to date. The Letter of Award issued by the Salem City Municipal Corporation (SCMC) provides a 45-day period for finalizing the concession agreement. Valued at approximately EUR 456 million, the project is designed to modernize Salem’s urban water infrastructure and deliver reliable, round-the-clock water supply services supported by advanced digital technologies.

Beginning in 2027, SUEZ will oversee the distribution of treated drinking water across Salem’s entire urban area of approximately 91 square kilometers. The concession will serve over one million inhabitants and includes extensive rehabilitation and upgrading of the city’s water infrastructure to support continuous service delivery.

The project includes modernization of intake facilities, water treatment plants, and pumping stations, as well as replacement and reinforcement of roughly 1,800 kilometers of aging transmission and distribution pipelines. Plans also include the construction of 26 new service reservoirs and the refurbishment of 39 existing reservoirs. Existing service connections will be upgraded and water meters installed, with a target of connecting 234,634 households to the municipal water system by the end of the concession period. The contract also covers customer service operations, meter reading, and billing functions.

Digital monitoring and automation technologies will be implemented, including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and other automated tools, to enhance operational efficiency and improve service reliability. The project will be governed by performance-based metrics aimed at ensuring continuous water supply and improving system efficiency. Key objectives include reducing non-revenue water by 20 percent within five years and by 10 percent within ten years, resolving at least 90 percent of customer complaints within defined timeframes, and maintaining strict compliance with drinking water quality standards. Metering, billing, and revenue collection systems will also be closely monitored.

The concession is structured around two main phases: an initial five-year period covering planning and construction, during which SUEZ will assume operation and maintenance responsibilities for existing infrastructure, followed by a 20-year operational phase. Throughout the concession period, ownership of both existing and newly developed assets will remain with Salem City Municipal Corporation.

SUEZ has already established a presence in Tamil Nadu through its ongoing water distribution concession in Coimbatore, where the company has been managing a system delivering approximately 133 million liters of water per day to around one million residents for the past eight years. The Salem agreement further reinforces the role of public-private partnerships in supporting urban water management and addressing growing water scarcity challenges in India.

With an estimated 10 percent share of the municipal water services market, SUEZ is a leading provider of water infrastructure and services in India. The company supplies drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 65 million people each day, representing about 13 percent of the country’s urban population. Across India, SUEZ has delivered around 300 advanced water and wastewater treatment facilities and manages approximately 9,000 kilometers of continuous water distribution networks across ten cities, including 6,000 kilometers built by the company.

Infrastructure constructed or operated by SUEZ in India currently produces around 7.5 billion liters of drinking water daily and treats approximately 2.8 billion liters of wastewater each day. These operations also generate approximately 108 GWh of energy annually, supporting circular economy initiatives. The company is currently involved in more than 50 active projects across the country, including seven projects under construction.

Pierre Pauliac, Executive Vice President International at SUEZ, emphasized that the agreement reflects growing confidence among Indian municipalities in performance-based and digitally enabled water management systems designed to support sustainable urban growth.

About SUEZ:
Faced with growing environmental challenges, SUEZ has been delivering essential services that protect and improve our quality of life for more than 160 years. SUEZ provides its customers with innovative and resilient solutions for water and waste services. With 40 000 employees across 40 countries, the Group works with customers to create value over the full lifecycle of their assets and services, and to drive their low carbon transition. In 2024, SUEZ provided drinking water for 68 million people worldwide and sanitation services for 44 million people. The Group generated 8 TWh of energy from waste and wastewater. In 2024, SUEZ has generated revenues of 9.2 billion euros.
For more information: www.suez.com

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SOURCE: SUEZ