The city of Brno holds a 51% stake in BVK, and French water firm Suez environnement owns a 41% interest.

The latest 10-year contract extends an existing deal, signed with the city authorities in 1999, for water and wastewater management.

Brno is supplied from three water sources which include Brezova I, Brezova II and VOV. Last year, 29 million cubic meters of water were distributed throughout the city.

BVK also operates the Modrice waste water treatment facility, which treated over 36 million cubic meters of waste water in 2014.

Suez environnement CEO Jean-Louis Chaussade said: " This new 10-year agreement to operate sewerage in the city of Brno shows the trust the municipality have placed in the partnership with the group.

"Czech Republic is also the heart of the Group’s development activities in the field of water management in Central Europe."

BVK operates 1380km of water supply networks and 1200km of sewage networks in Czech Republic.

The company is also operating the water and/or sewage infrastructure in 16 municipalities in the surroundings of Brno City.