[November 09, 2012]

United Water Cleared of All Charges in U.S. District Court in Northern Indiana

United Water, one of the largest water services providers in the nation, along with a current employee and a former employee, have been cleared of all charges relating to the company's sampling methodology during its management of the Gary Sanitary District in U.S. District Court in Hammond, IN. The government's claim against United Water, one current employee and one former employee, was about sample monitoring methods, with no allegation of environmental harm.

"We always believed that these allegations were unfounded and we were confident that all parties would be exonerated when the jury heard all the facts," said Bertrand Camus, Chief Executive Officer of United Water. "It was clear in this case that we complied with the scope of our contract with the Gary Sanitary District and met environmental standards - facts that were never called into question."

During the life of its contract, United Water invested millions of dollars to improve the operation of Gary's wastewater treatment plant. The success of the partnership between the Gary Sanitary District and United Water iswell-documented. United Water made several major and costly infrastructure improvements to enhance environmental performance. The company's partnership with the city resulted in awards from the Indiana Water Environment Association and the US Council of Mayors for the quality and integrity of the plant's testing lab.

Mr. Camus added that the result of the trial does not change the company's well-earned reputation. "We are a world-class water services company and we are proud of our people, our performance and the reputation that we have worked so hard to achieve over the 140 years that we have been in business," Camus said.

United Water employs more than 2,300 employees to meet the needs of nearly 6 million people throughout the United States, ensuring that they are supplied with water that is safe to drink and wastewater management that is efficient and environmentally sound.

About United Water

United Water is one of the nation's leading environmental companies, providing water and wastewater services to approximately 5.7 million people in the United States. In addition to owning and operating 20 water utilities, United Water operates 100 municipal and industrial water and wastewater systems through innovative public-private partnerships and contract agreements. Founded in 1869, United Water is a subsidiary of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT.

About SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT

Natural resources are not infinite. Each day, SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT (Paris: SEV, Brussels: SEVB) and its subsidiaries deal with the challenge of protecting resources by providing innovative solutions to industries and to millions of people. SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT supplies drinking water to 91 million people, provides wastewater treatment services for 63 million people and collects the waste produced by close to 57 million people. SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT has 80,410 employees and, with its presence on a global scale, is a world leader exclusively dedicated to environmental services. SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, a 35.7% GDF SUEZ affiliate, achieved revenue of 14.8 billion Euros ($19.6 billion USD) at the end of financial year 2011.

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