- Lake DeForest has been an indispensable source of drinking water for the Rockland County community since 1956.
- An average of 10 million gallons of water from the Lake DeForest Reservoir are treated and distributed to over 300,000 county residents daily.
- Protecting drinking water supplies like Lake DeForest is a critical part of Veolia’s GreenUp strategy.
WEST NYACK, N.Y., May 15, 2025 /3BL/ - Veolia New York marks National Drinking Water Week (May 4 - 10) by celebrating Lake DeForest Reservoir's designation as an American Landmark. This recognition by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) is reserved for long-standing buildings, reservoirs or towers that have a direct and significant relationship with water supply, treatment, distribution or technological development.
Chris Graziano, Regional President of Veolia New York said: “Lake DeForest plays a critical role in our ability to supply Rockland County with reliable drinking water. It has also offered generations of customers a beautiful place to escape into nature for bird-watching, fishing and hiking. We’re grateful and excited that the AWWA has recognized Lake DeForest for the important and long-lasting benefits it brings to our community.”
Construction of the reservoir began in 1952 and was completed in 1956. It was named after Benjamin F. DeForest, a former president of the Hackensack Water Company, which later became part of Veolia (formerly United Water and SUEZ).
Lake DeForest collects water from various sources, including the Hackensack River and its tributaries. Water is drawn from the reservoir and treated at an adjacent surface water treatment plant, which has an average treatment capacity of 10 millions gallons per day (MGD). It provides about one third of Rockland’s drinking water.
Over its nearly seven decades, Lake DeForest has also become a popular recreational destination for the local community. Through Veolia’s Watershed Recreation Program, over 800 people register each year to access the reservoir for fishing, hiking and bird watching from mid-April through the end of November.
To celebrate the vitality of the reservoir as an indispensable resource, Veolia opens up the reservoir for community kayaking during its annual Veolia Lake DeForest Day. This event, in its ninth year, also features a kayak challenge between Rockland County’s local volunteer fire departments. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, June 28.
Protecting Drinking Water Supplies is Part of Veolia’s Green Up Strategy
Ensuring access to clean drinking water is at the root of Veolia’s 171-year history. Through its GreenUp strategy, Veolia has reemphasized its commitment to advancing water technologies and solutions that treat new and emerging contaminants. At Lake DeForest’s drinking water plant, the company is investing $100 million over a five-year period to install treatment technology that will address PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and provide for overall enhanced water quality.
ABOUT VEOLIA NORTH AMERICA
A subsidiary of Veolia Group, Veolia North America (VNA) offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Veolia North America has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across the continent.
ABOUT VEOLIA GROUP
Veolia Group aims to become the benchmark company for ecological transformation. Present on five continents with 215,000 employees, the Group designs and deploys useful, practical solutions for the management of water, waste and energy that are contributing to a radical turnaround of the current situation. Through its three complementary activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, to preserve available resources and to renew them. In 2024, the Veolia group provided 111 million inhabitants with drinking water and 98 million with sanitation, produced 42 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 65 million tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) achieved consolidated revenue of 44.7 billion euros in 2024.
CONTACT
VEOLIA NEW YORK
Sophia Salis
Director, Communications and Community Relations
914-506-2327
[email protected]
