VIVAQUA

What VIVAQUA does

VIVAQUA is a Belgian intermunicipal cooperative (Société Coopérative) founded on December 12, 1891, owned by 23 towns and cities (19 Brussels communes, 4 Walloon communes) and one intercommunal association. It is one of Belgium's principal water utilities and operates under the Brussels-Capital Region ordinance of July 5, 2018, governing intermunicipal cooperation. VIVAQUA employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people and is headquartered at Boulevard de l'Impératrice 17-19, 1000 Brussels.

The company operates an integrated water-cycle platform built around four core activities: drinking water production from 26 groundwater catchment sites (primarily in Wallonia, with some in the Sonian Forest and Bois de la Cambre); distribution across 3,112 km of pipes throughout the Brussels-Capital Region; sewage network management across Brussels; and operational management of the majority of Brussels' storm water basins for flood control. Quality monitoring covers more than 65 parameters, with systematic PFAS reporting launched in 2022 in anticipation of the EU Directive limit effective January 2026. Customer-facing digital services include mandatory quarterly billing (since September 2020), Doccle online billing integration, direct-debit options, leak-rate reductions, and payment plans of up to 60 months.

VIVAQUA generates revenue primarily through usage-based water supply and sewage fees billed directly to ~2.25 million end-users (roughly one-fifth of Belgium's population), supplemented by one-time connection and works fees, water analysis services, and wholesale water sales to distributors in Wallonia and Flanders. As a regulated public utility, pricing is set within a regional regulatory framework, with rates increased effective January 1, 2026. The company distributes through direct infrastructure, online portals, and customer service centers, with a 24/7 technical emergency line. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

VIVAQUA

Legal name

VIVAQUA

Website

https://vivaqua.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

VIVAQUA is a Belgian intermunicipal water utility cooperative founded in 1891, serving ~2.25 million people across Brussels and beyond through drinking water production (26 catchment sites), 3,112 km of distribution pipes, sewage management, and flood control.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Treatment & Wet-Weather Capacity (EUANADAF)

Keywords

• Drinking water distribution
• Wastewater management
• Sewer infrastructure
• Flood control
• Municipal water utility

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Water Supply and Distribution: Production and distribution of drinking water to approximately 2.25 million people across Belgium, generating revenue through water supply fees based on consumption.
2. Sewage Collection and Drainage: Collection of waste water through sewer networks and management of storm water basins, with fees integrated into water billing.
3. Connection and Works Services: Fees for new water and sewer connections, meter installations and removals, and technical works for buildings.
4. Water Analysis Services: Water quality analysis services offered to customers for testing their drinking water supply.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VIVAQUA produces drinking water from 26 groundwater catchment sites in Belgium and distributes it through 3,112 km of pipes to households and businesses across the Brussels-Capital Region. The company also manages the Brussels sewer network and operates the majority of the Region's storm water basins to control flooding, with water-quality analysis, 24/7 emergency response, and connection services offered to customers and professional contractors.

Product overview

VIVAQUA is a Belgian water utility cooperative providing integrated water management services across the Brussels-Capital Region and beyond. Its core offering consists of four interconnected services: drinking water production (from 26 groundwater catchment sites), water distribution (3,112 km of pipes), sewage management, and flood control. Customer-facing digital services include quarterly billing (mandatory since 2020), online payment via Doccle integration, direct debit options, leak rate reductions, and payment plans for those with payment difficulties. Technical services encompass water/sewer connections, 24/7 emergency response, and water quality analysis including PFAS monitoring. Self-service tools include meter reading submission and consumption calculators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drinking Water Production Operation of 26 groundwater catchment sites across Belgium — primarily in the Walloon Region, with some sites in the Sonian Forest and Bois de la Cambre — sourcing drinking water from natural aquifers to supply approximately 2.25 million people.
• Drinking Water Distribution Distribution of drinking water through a 3,112 km pipe network across the Brussels-Capital Region from catchment sites to residential and commercial end-customers, supported by technical and sales departments.
• Sewage Management Management of the sewer network throughout the Brussels-Capital Region for the collection of waste water, essential for preserving the environment and water resources for households and businesses in the 19 Brussels communes and beyond.
• Flood Control Operational management of the majority of Brussels' storm water basins and design of new flood-control structures by VIVAQUA's engineering office, protecting residents and properties from flood risk.
• Water/Sewer Connection Services Works request services for connecting homes and buildings to the drinking water network or sewer, meter installation or removal, with downloadable forms and technical requirements documentation provided to property owners, builders, and tradespeople.
• Water Quality Analysis Water quality reporting service allowing customers to check the composition of water at their address, including calcium hardness levels, more than 65 monitored parameters, and monthly PFAS analysis results.
• 24/7 Technical Emergency Service Round-the-clock emergency response service for technical water issues affecting customers in the Brussels-Capital Region, reachable at 02/739 52 11.
• Water Meter Reading Service Online platform and video tutorial that lets customers submit their own water-meter readings for accurate billing, complemented by a calculator of average consumption (31 m³ per year per person in Brussels).

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 2.25 million people, representing nearly one-fifth of the Belgian population
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DocclecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDoccle is a free online billing platform partnership enabling VIVAQUA customers to view and pay water bills digitally. VIVAQUA promotes Doccle registration offering a €10 discount on annual bills for enrolled customers. The partnership provides mobile payment options and automated reminders before payment due dates.
• SpeosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerService provider for document delivery and management, handling the sending of official VIVAQUA documents to customers as part of operational support.
• EY (Ernst & Young) Réviseurs d'EntreprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY serves as the internal audit provider for VIVAQUA's whistleblowing channel, processing integrity violation reports submitted through the secure reporting platform. The firm ensures confidential handling of whistleblower reports as part of VIVAQUA's compliance framework.
• Brugel (Service des Litiges)minorOthersBrussels energy and water regulatory authority's dispute mediation service. Customers unsatisfied with VIVAQUA's complaint resolution can request intervention from Brugel's litigation service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Berliner Wasserbetriebe: Berliner Wasserbetriebe is the publicly-owned water and wastewater utility for Berlin, operating drinking water, sewer network, and wastewater treatment under a similar integrated municipal-utility mandate as VIVAQUA's Brussels production-distribution-sewage-flood control portfolio.
• Eau de Paris: Eau de Paris is the municipal water utility fully owned by the City of Paris, supplying drinking water under a public-service model analogous to VIVAQUA's intermunicipal cooperative structure. Comparable in being a publicly owned, single-territory urban water utility.
• Wiener Wasser (Wien Energie / City of Vienna): Wiener Wasser is the municipal drinking water supply of the City of Vienna, operating spring-fed catchment and distribution under full public ownership. It is comparable to VIVAQUA in being a publicly-owned, single-city water utility delivering high-quality spring water to a European capital.
• Waternet: Waternet is the Amsterdam regional water authority responsible for drinking water, wastewater, and waterway management in the Amsterdam region. It is a closely comparable European municipal water-cycle operator with integrated drinking water + sewage + storm-water responsibilities similar to VIVAQUA.

Broad incumbents

• Severn Trent: Severn Trent is a large publicly listed UK regulated water and wastewater utility. Although UK-specific, it is a benchmark for regulated water utilities of similar scale to VIVAQUA — useful for valuation, capex recovery, and regulatory comparison purposes.
• Suez (Suez SA): Suez is a major European water and waste management operator with significant municipal water concessions across Belgium and neighboring countries. It is a broad incumbent that competes for the same municipal water-services RFPs and represents a private-sector peer for benchmarking service delivery.
• Veolia Eau (Veolia Environnement): Veolia Eau is the global leader in water and wastewater services and a broad incumbent across Europe, including Belgium. While operating on a different (private commercial) model than VIVAQUA, it competes for adjacent municipal contracts and bulk-water opportunities and is the closest private-sector reference for benchmarking.

Direct peers

• Hydria: Hydria is a Flemish water utility formed through the merger of several intermunicipal water companies, serving municipalities in Flanders under a model structurally identical to VIVAQUA's production-and-distribution mandate.
• SWDE (Société Wallonne Des Eaux): SWDE is the Walloon regional intermunicipal water utility operating under an identical Belgian public-law cooperative model, supplying drinking water across the Walloon Region. It is the most direct structural analogue to VIVAQUA in Belgium, with comparable intermunicipal ownership, regulated tariffs, and catchment-plus-distribution model.
• De Watergroep: De Watergroep is the largest drinking water utility in Flanders and operates as the Flemish regional counterpart to VIVAQUA, providing production and distribution of drinking water under the same Belgian intermunicipal/public-utility logic. It is one of the natural buyers of VIVAQUA's wholesale water.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VIVAQUA.be
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vivaqua
• Xx.com/vivaqua_be

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VIVAQUA