On the occasion of the World Environment Day Sofiyska Voda opened the doors of the biggest and most efficient potable water treatment plant in Bistritsa and showed the modern laboratory testing complex. The accredited laboratory is a one of the best in Bulgaria.
‘By opening our doors on this day we are showing the way we welcome the water, purify it and deliver it to our customers’, said Mr. Frederic Faroche, Country Manager of Veolia for Bulgaria. Special guests to the event were Ms. Yoana Hristova, Deputy Mayor for Environment to the Municipality of Sofia, Ms. Dominique Waag, Chargé d'affaires of the diplomatic missions of the French Republic, Ms. Vessela Todorova-Mosettig, Director of the French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and others.
‘The policy on protecting the environment is an important subject and plays an increasingly important role in the lives of each of us. But we should also acknowledge what the business is doing for protecting nature’, commented Yoana Hristova, Deputy Mayor for Environment to the Municipality of Sofia and encouraged the active policy of Sofiyska Voda towards protecting the environment.
‘Bulgarian nature is wonderful and the Bulgarians really appreciate and love it. More scientists and initiatives like the ones that Veolia embarks on are needed in order to protect the environment and make the world a better place’, commented the Charge d'affaires of the diplomatic missions of the French Republic.
Some of the activities of the company for protecting the environment include the investments made in a top-notch laboratory for analysis of the water quality in the treatment plant at Bistritsa. Reliable analysis methods, modern and precise equipment have been implemented, qualified and trained employees ensure on a daily basis that the potable water in Sofia is fully safe and meets the normative requirements.
The high level of the laboratory has been confirmed not only by the Executive Agency Bulgarian Accreditation Service but also through the annual voluntary participation in over 100 international competitions. Sofiyska Voda AD takes pride in the accomplishments made by its laboratory and expresses its desire to invest more in cutting edge equipment in order to be able to develop further additional new methods for analysis. The investments worth more than BGN 1,000,000, which were made over the last six years, will be complemented with an ambitious investment plan for another BGN 1,888,000 up to 2021.
All citizens of Sofia will benefit from the continuous improvement of the laboratory complex in consistency with the best world standards. The technologies would contribute to a more precise and exhaustive analysis of the water quality. The laboratory conducts analyses in regard to 80 different indicators such as contents of ions, pesticides, hydrocarbons, metals, microbiological indicators, and others. In 2016 over 40,000 analyses were conducted on potable water samples taken from 78 points for sample taking within the concession area.
The transparency, which Sofiyska Voda AD aspires at, manifests in the creation of a special online platform where the customers may easily check the quality of the potable water in the region where they live.
Today 05 June 2017 the World Environment Day with the motto ‘Connecting people to nature’ Sofiyska Voda, operated by Veolia, launches a free 24/7 customer phone number 0800 121 21 to be even closer to customers. The company is the first water supply and sewer services operator in Bulgaria that introduces a free of charge service. Thus, customers will be able to use the free line to receive information about their bills quickly and easily, submit self-readings at the most convenient time for them, make inquiries for their water consumption and accounts, send signals etc.
‘In the next 5 years we will be committed to improving the quality of the services for our customers. The first step is to launch a free phone line for our customers, so that citizens can contact us directly’, said Mr. Arnaud Valleteau.
On average 35,000 monthly calls are accepted in the 24/7 customer service center of Sofiyska Voda. The activity of the service center is monitored by a few key performance indicators: The level of accepted calls is among the highest of phone centers - 98.5%. The percentage of calls accepted for less than 30 seconds is also among the highest - 90%.
The implementation of innovations for the purpose of sustainable development is a long-term objective of the French company Veolia, which is a majority shareholder with 77.1% share in Sofiyska Voda. The company invests in circular economy, thus contributing to making Sofia a cleaner and modern city, which on a daily basis fulfills the motto of World Environment Day 2017 ‘Connecting People to Nature’.