Veolia and Town of Jamestown Partner to Strengthen Water Services and Environmental Stewardship
In a significant move aimed at enhancing public health and environmental sustainability, Veolia North America, a leading provider of water and environmental services across the United States and Canada, has entered into a three-year operational partnership with the Town of Jamestown, Rhode Island. Under this agreement, Veolia will manage the town’s water treatment plant, bringing its industry-leading expertise to nearly 1,600 residential and commercial properties within this vibrant coastal community.
This collaboration represents a critical step forward in addressing ongoing challenges facing the public water sector, particularly in small municipalities that have long struggled with staffing shortages, regulatory compliance, and aging infrastructure. The agreement comes at a time when reliable access to clean, safe drinking water has never been more essential.
Addressing Staffing Shortages and Enhancing Operations
As part of the three-year contract, Veolia will deploy a full-time team of three certified professionals to oversee operations at the Jamestown Water Treatment Plant. These specialists, all certified in Rhode Island, will not only manage daily operations but also implement performance enhancements and long-term sustainability measures.
This deployment is a vital solution for the town, which in recent years has experienced considerable difficulty maintaining consistent staffing levels for the facility. At one point, only a single licensed operator was available to run the entire plant—a scenario that created significant operational risk and underscored the need for external support.
Recognizing the complexity of modern water treatment operations and the importance of compliance with both state and federal regulations, Veolia brings an expansive network of certified personnel across the region. Should Jamestown require additional support beyond its core team, Veolia’s extended workforce from throughout New England can be tapped to meet operational demands and emergency contingencies.
This type of flexible resource allocation is increasingly valuable as municipal water systems face rising technical demands, stricter environmental standards, and intensifying climate-related stresses on infrastructure.
Empowering the Local Workforce Through Training and Certification
Beyond immediate staffing solutions, the partnership is also an investment in Jamestown’s future. Veolia has committed to providing members of the town’s existing bargaining unit with access to professional training and licensing programs, focused specifically on water treatment operations.
This approach aims to strengthen the municipal workforce from within by enabling town employees to gain critical skills and certifications. These educational opportunities, supported by Veolia’s vast operational knowledge and industry experience, will help build long-term resilience and reduce future dependence on outside contractors.
The training initiative aligns with Veolia’s broader mission of capacity building and knowledge transfer, key elements in its efforts to promote sustainable, community-rooted environmental solutions.
Improvements Begin Immediately with Focus on Safety and Water Quality
Following official mobilization in January 2025, Veolia’s presence was quickly felt throughout the Jamestown facility. The newly assigned team, supported by regional specialists, undertook a comprehensive evaluation of existing infrastructure, systems, and protocols, with the dual goal of improving both operational efficiency and water quality.
One of the first and most telling upgrades was made to a below-ground pump vault used to monitor and record water meter readings. Upon inspection, Veolia’s site leadership identified safety risks associated with employees entering the vault, including inadequate structural safeguards and limited visibility.
To address these hazards, the team installed electronic meter-reading systems that allow for safe, remote data collection. Simultaneously, they constructed a small protective structure over the vault featuring lighting, handrails, and refurbished stair access, significantly reducing the risks of slips, trips, and falls. These changes reflect Veolia’s strong culture of “safety first” and demonstrate how even relatively small adjustments can have a major impact on operational security.
Similar improvements are underway throughout the facility, focusing on areas such as chemical handling, filtration efficiency, and response protocols for extreme weather events. Already, these initiatives are producing measurable improvements in water quality and regulatory compliance.
Leadership Support and Community Commitment
Both Veolia and Jamestown officials have emphasized the importance of this partnership not only as a service arrangement but also as a shared commitment to public welfare and environmental integrity.
John Oatley, Regional Vice President for Veolia, commented on the organization’s goals for this engagement:
“We are excited to work with the Town of Jamestown and provide the support this community deserves for the protection of both public and environmental health. Our team throughout Rhode Island and across New England has demonstrated efficiency, dedication and operational excellence. We look forward to bringing that to Jamestown and maintaining this unique area’s remarkable quality of life.”
Town Administrator Edward Mello echoed this sentiment, while also highlighting the importance of the agreement for operational continuity:
“The delivery of high-quality, safe drinking water to our residents is a paramount function of our local government services. Jamestown, like many communities, has struggled to recruit and retain qualified staff members in all areas of the services we provide. This partnership allows us the stability needed to continue this high-value service.”
Proven Track Record Across the Region
This agreement further strengthens Veolia’s long-established presence throughout the southeastern New England region. The company currently operates water and wastewater systems in several municipalities including Pawtucket and Woonsocket in Rhode Island, New London in Connecticut, and Westborough in Massachusetts, among others.
In each of these communities, Veolia has demonstrated a clear commitment to operational excellence, environmental compliance, and community engagement. These projects range from full-scale treatment facility operations to targeted improvement efforts involving stormwater management, nutrient reduction, and infrastructure modernization.
The Jamestown partnership also reflects Veolia’s ongoing implementation of its global “GreenUp” strategy, which focuses on accelerating ecological transformation across core operational areas. These include:
- Water quality improvement through advanced treatment technologies and robust monitoring protocols.
- Hazardous waste treatment and disposal, ensuring safe and compliant management of harmful substances.
- Decarbonization initiatives designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency across all systems.
- Innovation and digital transformation to make environmental services more responsive, predictive, and resilient.
By aligning its regional projects with this global framework, Veolia seeks to ensure that every local engagement contributes to a broader vision of sustainability, equity, and resilience.
A Model for Sustainable Municipal Partnerships
As small towns and cities across the United States confront similar challenges—aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, regulatory burdens—the model adopted by Jamestown and Veolia is emerging as a valuable blueprint for sustainable municipal water management.
By combining the resources and knowledge of a global industry leader with the dedication and insight of local government personnel, this partnership offers a replicable path forward for communities aiming to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and build operational resilience.
