Syracuse Wastewater Treatment To Receive $11.9 Million Upgrade.

Business Editors

SYRACUSE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 21, 2000

Space-Saving Technology Meets Unique Size Requirements

The Onondaga County (NY) Department of Drainage and Sanitation has awarded USFilter an $11.9 million direct purchase contract for an innovative, space-saving system to upgrade treatment at the Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The installation will include advanced technology for removing ammonia and phosphorus, as well as a comprehensive control and monitoring system including instrumentation, control panels, and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) that will be integrated into the current plant-wide SCADA system.

The system will be designed to treat 84 million gallons of wastewater a day (mgd), with a maximum wet weather flow of 126 mgd. USFilter will provide its biologically aerated filtration technology (known commercially as BIOSTYR(R)), and its ballasted flocculation process (Actiflo(R)). It will be the largest installation of this technology in the United States.

The Metropolitan plant is located adjacent to Onondaga Lake, and the length of pilings required to reach bedrock dictated that the new facilities be as small in size as possible, explained USFilter's Terry Mah. "The selected process has the smallest footprint of any commercially available alternatives and will provide the lowest operational costs possible for the high level of treatment required.

"The project will also save money through an alternative purchasing process consisting of up-front process evaluation, direct equipment purchase, followed by installation and construction bids."

The BIOSTYR process combines a very high density fixed film media with filtration, minimizing reactor volume and eliminating the need for final clarifiers. Actiflo is an enhanced ballasted flocculation/clarification process with short mixing times (less than 10 minutes) and high clarifier rise rates (51,840 gallons/day-ft2). Both technologies are marketed through USFilter's Kruger Products, Cary, NC.

Under a federal court order, the county's metropolitan plant is required to have an effluent ammonia content of less than one milligram per liter (summer) and 2 mg/l (winter). Phosphorus must be reduced to a level of less than .02 mg/l by the year 2012.

USFilter's partners on this project include the design team of Environmental Engineering Associates, Inc. - a joint venture between Stearns & Wheeler, LLC; O'Brien & Gere Engineers, Inc.; and Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc., all of the Syracuse area. USFilter's representative is Koester Associates, Canastota, NY.

Following the design phase, the project schedule includes contract award in the second quarter 2001, completion of construction by mid-2003, and full operations by June 2004.

USFilter, a Vivendi Water company, is the leading global provider of commercial, industrial, municipal and residential water and wastewater treatment systems, products and services, with operations in more than 100 countries. USFilter, which is based in Palm Desert, Calif. invites you to visit its web site at http://www.usfilter.com.

Important Disclaimer. This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations or beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: acquisition related risks, inability to further identify, develop and achieve success for new products, services and technologies; increased competition and its effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues; inability to establish and maintain relationships with commerce, advertising, marketing, technology, and content providers. Investors and security holders are urged to read Vivendi's Registration Statement on Amendment No. 1 to Form 20-F, the Vivendi Universal joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed by Vivendi with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at the Commission's web site at www.sec.gov. These documents may also be obtained for free from Vivendi.