> Veolia’s flagship Hubgrade Center in Scottsdale, Arizona enables communities anywhere to benefit from the most advanced digitally enabled water operations in America
> Hubgrade combines human expertise with real-time data and artificial intelligence to optimize chemical use, cut energy costs, extend asset life and strengthen environmental compliance, so municipal water systems perform better for their communities
> Leveraging digital technologies like drones, robots, augmented reality and virtual reality devices, and digital twins, this Hubgrade Center delivers industry-leading expertise at scale so communities can tap into cutting-edge resources with minimal investment
Veolia today opened its first Hubgrade Center in North America, a digital command center that combines human expertise with the power of real-time data and artificial intelligence to deliver top-quality water and wastewater treatment at Veolia-operated facilities across the western United States.
This Hubgrade Center allows communities of any size to benefit from Veolia’s digital capabilities and operational expertise, with AI-enabled data analysis and dedicated experts now able to remotely monitor and continuously improve their operations. Freed from relying solely on in-house tools and teams, municipal water and wastewater providers can rely on this Hubgrade facility to streamline and transform complex operational data into clear, day-to-day guidance.
Veolia has to date implemented Hubgrade capabilities at seven wastewater systems that are remotely and securely managed at the Scottsdale Hubgrade Center, and will expand this service to a total of 27 municipal partners by the end of 2025. Operators at the Center use continuous data monitoring, remote-controlled drones and robots, and 360-degree “digital twin” models of this distributed infrastructure to provide top-quality systemic guidance throughout the West. The Scottsdale location can support all our partner communities, working around the clock, to help optimize chemical use, reduce energy consumption, extend asset life and comply with environmental regulations – helping municipal budgets, residents and communities.
At the formal launch event inside the Hubgrade Center, surrounded by screens displaying real-time operational parameters and optimization tools for Veolia-operated sites from Washington State to southern California, Veolia leaders demonstrated Hubgrade’s capabilities to municipal officials from across the Phoenix Valley. They donned virtual-reality headsets to remotely visit site operations, asked plain-English AI models to evaluate data feeds from plants hundreds of miles away, and discussed how Hubgrade’s digital tools can meet their goals to conserve and reuse water, reduce their carbon footprints and improve environmental quality for their communities.
“Our next-generation Hubgrade Center strengthens Veolia’s ability to provide environmental security at a time when water resources are stressed across a growing region,” said Karine Rougé, CEO of Veolia’s Municipal Water division in North America. “The key strength of Hubgrade is the increasing value it generates by bringing together our subject matter expertise and digital enablement. By pairing advanced digital tools with Veolia’s industry-leading specialists, municipalities of any size can bridge skill gaps, strengthen performance and gain greater precision and transparency. That translates into delivering real value to the people they serve.”
Discover the latest trends and insights—explore the Business Insights Journal for up-to-date strategies and industry breakthroughs
