CAWASA launches quarterly newsletter to highlight water utility achievements

e-source CAWASA Newsletter #1 2011

CAWASA Inc.
Caribbean Water and Sewerage Association Incorporated

In This Issue
! WANTED: A new business model for water!

! From CBWMP to CAWASA - The Transition

! Secretariat News

! CAWASA has a long 2011 ‘To Do’ list

! Why World Water Day?

! Ban Ki Moon World Water Day Message 2011

! World Water Facts

! Guyana to spend $1 Billion to improve urban water distribution

! What price [bottled] water?

! We only miss the water when…

! Wise Water Tips

! Tomas taught again that “A stitch in time…”

Dear Reader! PO Box RB2293
CAWASA is pleased to launch its quarterly newsletter.
Gros Islet, St. Lucia
We invite contributions to this publication to highlight your utility’s Tel:(758)458-0601
achievements and challenges during the period. Fax:(758)458-0191
Please forward your contribution to info@cawasa.org Email:info@cawasa.org
www.cawasa.org


CAWASA Inc.

WANTED: A new business model for water!
The CAWASA Executive Director says there’s a workable way to make Caribban water
utilities efficient and profitable.

CAWASA's Executive Director, Victor Poyotte, is again calling for
“a new business model for water in the Caribbean” - one that will
feature “public ownership with private participation.”

The Executive Director has made this call before at meetings of the
Caribbean Basin Water Management Program (CBWMP), the
predecessor of CAWASA. He's now repeated the call against the
background of increasing difficulties facing largely public-owned
water utilities in a competitive market already fraught with dangers
ranging from natural disasters to insufficient capitalization.

CAWASA covers most Caribbean water utilities. Most are
government-owned or controlled either as government CAWASA Executive Director Victor Poyotte has
departments, statutory authorities or public companies. Most extensive experience in management of both water and
electricity regional utility bodies.
therefore depend directly on the government' treasury for funding.

The government owned utilities are forced to supply water to consumers at below the cost of production
because of the failure of the minister or cabinet to grant tariff increases on a timely basis. On average
most utilities receive tariff increases between 150-20 years with regards to regulation, all the region's water
utilities, one way or another, depend on ministerial dictates or Cabinet fiat. None are regulated by
Independent Commissions (except in St. Lucia, where provision is made in legislation passed in 2005).
However, the National Water Commission as it is called is yet to be operationalized.

With most CAWASA member utilities falling into the category of government regulated entities and their
increasing difficulties due to current operational constraints, Mr Poyotte recommends that utilities and
governments “look at a new business model that will better serve each island or territory for the future.”

He specifically recommends “creation of a joint venture comprising Government, public agencies and
corporations, regional and international investors, as well as small local investors.” In that way, he added,
“the small man will see he also has a stake in the utility and this type of public utility, with private sector
participation, will provide the vehicle to take the utilities forward into new directions in these new times.”

The CAWASA Executive Director says the model he advocates already exists and is working.

“We're not talking about reinventing the wheel here. St. Lucia's lone electric utility company is operating
successfully with this type of structure,” he says.

“This type of mixed leadership would include participation by a varied combination of entities, ranging from
individuals and credit unions, insurance companies, banks and other local financial institutions, to regional
and international investors,” he said.


CAWASA Inc.

Under the proposed system, the CAWASA Executive Director said, “responsibility for the process of
regulation of the water utilities will also be removed from the realm of the Executive (Government only) to
that of an Independent Commission.”

He said a competent independent approach to regulation is necessary, “because the pace of delivery and
progress can most times be dictated, not by operational efficiency or financial viability, but by likely
electoral or other consequences of much-needed actions.”

To effect these changes, said Mr Poyotte, “the governments and utilities should look again at the water
sector policies, and legislative instruments and regulations and seriously review them all.”

The CAWASA Executive Director's proposed new business model involves a threefold approach: establish
control of the resource through creation of a Water Resource Management Agency, issue licenses to water
utilities to deliver the service to citizens, and regulate the supply through an independent commission.


CAWASA Inc.

From CBWMP to CAWASA
The Transition

The Caribbean Water & Sewerage Association Inc. (CAWASA), is a regional association of water utilities in the
Caribbean.

Incorporated in St Lucia in May 2010, CAWASA has become the successor to the Caribbean Basin Water
Management Programme Inc (CBWMP Inc) -- which was itself incorporated in Barbados in 1996 as the
successor to Caribbean Basin Water Management Project, financed by the Caribbean Development Bank
(CDB) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Ten water utilities were the original members of CBWMP: Anguilla Water Department, Antigua Public Utilities
Authority (APUA), Barbados Water Authority (BWA), BVI Water & Sewerage Department (WSD), Dominica
Water & Sewerage Company Limited (DOWASCO), Montserrat Water Authority (MWA), Nevis Water
Department (NWD), St. Lucia Water & Sewerage Authority (WASA), St. Vincent & the Grenadines Central
Water & Sewerage Authority (CWSA), Public Works Department of Turks & Caicos (PWD). They now all
belong to the CAWASA.

At the Annual General Meeting held in Jamaica from October 1-2, 1999, the CBWMP Board adopted a
Resolution to accept four other member water utilities -- Belize, Cayman Islands, Grenada and St Kitts.

In October 2001, the 14 member water utilities were reduced by one when the Belize Water Authority was
privatised and the new company, the Belize Water Services, did not retain membership.

The evolution of CAWASA followed internal assessments and reflection by the leadership of the Caribbean
water utilities of the evolving changes in the dynamics of the regional water and sanitation sector and the need
for adjustments to meet the challenges of continuity for the sector as a whole.

The year 2011 will be CAWASA's first and all member utilities share the Secretariat's will to make it as
successful as can be.


CAWASA Inc.

Secretariat News
CAWASA collaborates with World Bank and the OECS Secretariat on Integrated
Water Resources Management Policy Forum

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), with support from the World Bank, has been
developing a regional initiative entitled “OECS Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Policy
Forum.” This initiative is a two-part workshop series intended to create a forum for technical practitioners
and decision makers to address current regional trends of land-use and watershed management that pose
a threat to long-term, economic development goals and climate change adaptation.

The first workshop was held at the Bay Gardens Hotel, Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, from 9-10 March 2011,
under the theme: “How do technical practitioners bridge the gap between data and policy making?”

One of the main objectives of the workshop was to provide participants with an opportunity to learn to
effectively communicate policy recommendations for integrated water resources management by
performing stakeholder consultations and examining current/future data needs and assessment tools to
support this responsibility.

The workshop was coordinated by Bradley Lyon, Consultant, Latin America and the Caribbean region of
the World Bank, while Peter Murray, Programme Officer of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Unit of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) provided assistance.

Some 51 persons representing 9 member-states of the OECS sub-region attended the workshop.

Among the countries represented were Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica,
Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, St Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

Crispin d’Auvergne, Chief Sustainable Development in the Division of Sustainable Development, Ministry
of Physical Development & Environment in St. Lucia, delivered the keynote address.

The main presenters included Jeff Arnold of the United States Department of Agriculture, John Joseph of
WASCO, St Lucia, Trevor Thompson of the Grenada Ministry of Agriculture, Adrian Trotman of the
Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), Victor Poyotte, Executive Director of the
Caribbean Water and Sewerage Association (CAWASA), Shanta King and Laverne Walker of the Division
of Sustainable Development in the Ministry of Physical Development and Environment, Jerry Meier,
Environmental Specialist of the World Bank, Vasantha Chase, Consultant for Pilot Program for Climate
Resilience (PPCR).

In the second workshop, decision and policymakers will examine the effects of current policies and
economic sectors such as tourism and agriculture, which directly contribute to watershed degradation and
loss of freshwater production.

Additionally, participants will identify and introduce country-specific needs, both technical and policy-
oriented, in order to overcome the challenges of sustainable water resources management in the region.


Secretariat News CAWASA Inc.

CWWA and CAWASA officials meet and talk in Trinidad

In October 2010, officials of the Caribbean Water & Wastewater
Association (CWWA) and the Caribbean Water & Sewerage
Association Inc (CAWASA; formerly CBWMP), signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signaling their intention to
work closer together to address issues of mutual concern in the water
and wastewater sector.

Currently, the two associations are collaborating on a number of
regional initiatives, including a proposal for the consolidation of the
Caribbean Water Operators' Partnership, the formation of an AWWA
Caribbean Section and the design of a regional institutional
strengthening project for submission to the European Union. CAWASA Executive Director Victor Poyotte (front at left)
At the Annual General Meeting of CAWASA held in Anguilla in and the two Presidents with participants.
December 2010, the Executive Committee met with the newly-
elected President of CWWA. It was agreed then that CWWA and CAWASA should convene a joint meeting
in April 2011, to discuss areas of collaboration within the Water and Wastewater sector in the Caribbean.”

The meeting was held on 1st April 2011 at the Conference Room of the Water & Sewerage Authority
(WASA) in St. Joseph, Trinidad. CAWASA was represented by officers of the Executive Committee, the
Executive Director and the Programme Officer.

One output of the meeting was an Action Plan for future collaboration between CWWA and CAWASA.
Mr. Vincent Sweeney, Coordinator of the GEF-IWCAM Project, assisted in funding, attended and
participated in the workshop.

Funding for the Centre of Excellence

Theobalds Consulting has submitted final drawings for the construction of the CAWASA Centre of Excellence
to the Secretariat.

Full costing proposals for constructing the facility have been submitted by Desmond Auguste & Associate.



Executive Director conducts training in St. Vincent and Grenada
The Executive Director of CAWASA conducted a two-day training course in
Supervisory Management and Performance Management for staff of St. Vincent's
Central Water & Sewerage Authority (CWSA).

This training was conducted at the CWSA Training Room in St Vincent from
February 21st to 24th 2011, with a total of 20 participants. Some 55% believed the
overall Supervisory Management course was excellent, while 60% found the overall CAWASA Executive Director
Performance Management course to be excellent. lectured at the Grenada
workshop.

The Executive Director also conducted Supervisory
Management (2) training at the National Water & Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) at
the NAWASA Training Room in Grenada on March 2nd and 3rd 2011.
Some 26 supervisors participated in the Grenada training.

The St. Vincent workshop in
progress.

Executive Director represented CariWOP at GWOPA Congress in South Africa
Executive Director of CAWASA, Victor Poyotte, represented the Caribbean Water
Operators Partnerships (CariWOPs) at the first Bi- Annual Global WOPs Congress
and GWOPA General Assembly on March 20th and 21st, 2011 in Cape Town, South
Africa.

Mr. Poyotte was among several delegates worldwide invited by the Programme
Manager of the Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), UN- The conference theme and logo
HABITAT.

The congress and GWOPA General Assembly were held in conjunction with the
World Water Day celebration on 22nd March. It brought together operators, alliance
members and partners from around the world, for this first major global Water
Operators Partnerships (WOPs) event.

One of the objectives of the congress was to contribute to the growing body of
Participants at the South Africa knowledge on WOPs, develop new partnerships between operators and generally
meeting. raise the profile of the practice.

The congress was a major opportunity for WOPs practitioners and supporters to exchange with others
from around the world.



CAWASA attends Caricom Consortium on Water

The 2nd Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Consortium on Water
Meeting was held at the Bay Gardens Hotel in Saint Lucia on January
27-29, 2011.

The meeting brought together Integrated Water Resource
Management (IWRM) agencies and stakeholders in the region, to
discuss, among other things, the development of a Common Water
Framework for member states.
Agenda items included: Consolidated Work Programme 2011-12, Participants at the 2nd Consortium on Water Meeting
Country Water Assessments, Development of a Virtual Clearing held in St Lucia – January 27-29, 2011
House and Library of Water Resources Projects, Common Water
Framework, and Resource Mobilization Strategy for the Consortium.

A joint Work Programme incorporating Members’ planned activities for 2011 was partially developed along
seven thematic areas: Governance, Training & Capacity Building, Public Education and Outreach, Technical
Assistance, Research & Development, Knowledge Management Systems and Resource Mobilization.
The Work Programme will be finalised upon further discussions among the group.

Participating agencies/organizations included: Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute
(CARDI), Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB),
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Environmental Health Institute
(CEHI). Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH). Caribbean Water and Sewerage
Association Inc (CAWASA), Caribbean WaterNet, Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA),
Global Environment Facility – Integrating Watershed & Coastal Areas Management (GEF-IWCAM Project),
Global Water Partnership Caribbean (GWP-C), Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), University
of Guyana, University of Suriname, University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) Secretariat.

A follow-up meeting of the CARICOM Consortium on Water is scheduled for the latter part of 2011.

The Secretariat was represented by CAWASA’s Programme Officer, Suzanne Joseph.



Joint CWWA/CAWASA Project Concept Note not selected for EU Funding
In 2010, the European Commission under its Europe Aid Programme put out a Call for Proposals entitled
“ACP-EU Water Facility Partnerships for Capacity Development in the ACP Water & Sanitation Sector.”
CBWMP submitted an application on behalf of CWWA and CBWMP for the Creation of a Regional Platform
for Best Practice and Advocacy in the Caribbean Water Sector and Consolidation of the Caribbean Water
Operator's Partnerships (CariWOPs) Alliance. By letter dated 28th February 2011, Tomas Mateo Goyet,
Chairperson of the Evaluation Committee informed CAWASA, as the applicant, that the “Concept Note”
was not selected by the Evaluation Committee for the submission of a full application.


CAWASA Inc.

CAWASA has a long 2011 ‘To Do’ list
The accomplishments of the CBWMP (CAWASA’s predecessor) were reported at the 2010
Annual General Meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. For this year (2011), CAWASA
has a long list of tasks and objectives to achieve, including the following, some of which
have already been accomplished.
CARICOM Consortium Meeting on Water: From 27-29 January 2011, the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) Consortium on Water held its second meeting at Bay Gardens Hotel in Saint Lucia, bringing
together Integrated Water Resource Management agencies and stakeholders in the region. The Work
Programme will be finalised upon further discussions among the group and a follow-up meeting of the
CARICOM Consortium on Water is scheduled for the latter part of 2011.

World Bank/OECS “Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)” Forum: The CAWASA
Secretariat has been collaborating with the OECS and the World Bank on the implementation of a regional
two-part workshop series on “Integrated Water Resources Management Policy.” A first workshop was held
at the Bay Gardens Hotel in Saint Lucia from 9-10 March 2011 under the theme “How do technical
practitioners bridge the gap between data and policy making?” In the second workshop, decision and
policymakers will examine the effects of current policies and economic sectors such as tourism and
agriculture, which directly contribute to watershed degradation and loss of freshwater production.

AWWA Caribbean Section: At the joint meeting of officials of the Caribbean Water & Wastewater
Association (CWWA) and the Caribbean Water & Sewerage Association Inc (CAWASA) held in Trinidad on
Friday 1st April 2011, the Presidents of CWWA and CAWASA signed a revised Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) signaling their intention to work closer together to address issues of mutual concern
in the water, wastewater and solid waste sector. The two associations agreed to collaborate on a number
of regional initiatives including consolidation of the Caribbean Water Operators' Partnership, the formation
of an AWWA Caribbean Section and the institutional strengthening of member utilities.
MUL-WASCO Twinning Proposal: The Montserrat Utilities Limited (MUL) and the Water & Sewerage
Company (WASCO) have been collaborating on a twinning arrangement for WASCO to facilitate the
attachment of a Laboratory Technician and Pump Attendant from MUL. The proposal will be modified to
meet the requirements of GWOPA and was finalized and submitted to WOP-LAC in April 2011.

Training Programme: The Executive Director will conduct a series of short courses in Supervisory
Management and Performance Management for supervisory personnel of member utilities. At least four
other courses are planned to be conducted by the Secretariat by the fiscal year ending June 2011. They
include Procurement and Inventory, Financial Management for Non-Financial Managers, Operations &
Maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants, Laboratory Quality Assurance & Method Quality Control.

Utility Reform Workshop: The CAWASA Secretariat, in collaboration with the CDB, will conduct a joint
workshop entitled “Designing and Implementing Successful Utility Reform in Water Supply and Sanitation.”
The three-day workshop is aimed at improving understanding of the different stages of reform and
identifying appropriate actions to be taken at each stage. It will focus on such topics as utility challenges,
financial sustainability, asset management, institutional strengthening, performance improvement planning
and strategic communication.


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GEF-IWCAM Support for Water Operators' Conference: The Integrated Watershed & Coastal Areas
Management Project, through its Project Coordinator, is collaborating with the CAWASA Secretariat to host
a course in Wastewater Reuse in conjunction with the 2011 Water Operators Conference. This training will
involve the installation of a treatment facility at an IWCAM Demonstration site to be completed in Antigua
later in the year and whose effluent is intended for re-use. A regional Wastewater Specialist has been
identified by the Secretariat to design and conduct the wastewater reuse training course.

Funding for the Centre of Excellence: Plans by the Secretariat to establish a first ever “Centre of
Excellence” in Saint Lucia is moving ahead steadily. Theobalds Consulting has completed preliminary
drawings for the construction of the facility, WASCO has arranged for a Land Surveyor to survey the
portion of land allocated by the utility at Beausajour, Rodney Bay, Gros Islet for the facility.

Based on preliminary discussions with our banks 1st National Bank in St. Lucia the Secretariat engaged
Desmond Auguste & Associates to prepare a valuation of the land and cost estimates for the construction
of the facility. Once these activities are completed and the Executive Committee gives the go ahead a
formal proposal will be submitted to the bank for consideration.

Operators Certification Examinations: This year the Secretariat will be holding the next Operators
Certification Examination in June and November 2011. A number of individuals from regional and
international non-member utilities in the water and other water-related fields have indicated their interests
in pursuing the examinations with CAWASA.

Strategic Alliances: For some time now, the Secretariat has been trying to established contact with
officials from water utilities in the three French Departments of Cayenne, Guadeloupe and Martinique with
a view to collaborating and networking on various areas of interests. The Secretariat has written to the St
Lucia Consulate General in Martinique, Mr. Keats Compton, seeking his assistance in arranging a meeting
between the Executive Committee of CAWASA and the management of the three utilities with a view to
deciding on areas of collaboration.


CAWASA Inc.

“In a world of plenty, 800 million still have no access to safe
drinking water.”
World Water Day was celebrated on March 22nd with governments and institutions the
world over using the occasion to highlight water issues and promote good water practices.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued the following message for this year.
“As the world charts a more sustainable future, the crucial interplay
among water, food and energy is one of the most formidable challenges
we face. Without water there is no dignity and no escape from poverty.
Yet, the Millennium Development Goal target for water and sanitation is
among those on which many countries lag the most.

“In little over a generation, 60 percent of the global population will be living in
towns and cities, with much of the increase taking place in the inner city
slums and squatter settlements of the developing world. The theme of this
year's observance of World Water Day “Water for Cities” highlights some of
the main challenges of this increasingly urban future.

“Urbanization brings opportunities for more efficient water management and
improved access to drinking water and sanitation. At the same time, problems are often magnified in cities, and are
currently outpacing our ability to devise solutions.

“Over the past decade, the number of urban dwellers who lack access to a water tap in their home or immediate vicinity
has risen by an estimated 114 million, and the number of those who lack access to the most basic sanitation facilities has
risen by 134 million. This 20 percent increase has had a hugely detrimental impact on human health and on economic
productivity: people are sick and unable to work.

“Water challenges go beyond questions of access. In many countries, girls are forced to drop out of school owing to
a lack of sanitation facilities, and women are harassed or assaulted when carrying water or visiting a public toilet.

“Moreover, the poorest and most vulnerable members of society often have little choice but to buy water from informal
vendors at prices estimated to be 20 to 100 percent higher than that of their richer neighbours, who receive piped city
water in their homes. This is not just unsustainable; it is unacceptable.

“Water problems will figure prominently at the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in
Rio de Janeiro, in 2012 Rio+20. My High-level Panel on Global Sustainability and UN-Water are examining ways in
which we can connect the dots among water, energy and food security, with the aim of reducing poverty and inequality,
generating jobs, and minimizing the risks of climate change and environmental stress.

“On World Water Day, I urge Governments to reorganise the urban water crisis for what it is a crisis of governance,
weak policies and poor management, rather than one of scarcity. Let us also pledge to reverse the alarming decline in
per capita investment in water and sanitation. And let us reaffirm our commitment to ending the plight of the more than
800 million people who, in a world of plenty, still do not have the safe drinking water or sanitation they need for a life in
dignity and good health.”

Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General


CAWASA Inc.

Why World Water Day?
“Water for Cities – Responding to the urban challenge”
World Water Day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly as an international day for observance
nd
on March 22 each year back in 1992. The first observance was in 1993.

The date was selected for annual observance as a means of focusing attention on the importance of fresh water and
advocating for the sustained management of fresh water resources.

The world's water is under severe pressure. Rural-Urban drift and expansion of cities creates need for housing and
growth of slums with creation of more needs for water.

Development of slums across the world had increased at a rate of 18 million people per year between 1990 and
2001 and this figure is projected to increase by 27 million people per year between 2005 and 2020.

This rapid expansion of urban and slum populations and the projected expansion add to the pressures on existing
water and sanitation systems, with threats of water contamination and environmental pollution resulting in possible
sanitation problems that create water-borne and sanitation-related diseases such as cholera epidemics, skin
illnesses, as well as faecal and oral diseases such as diarrhoea and outbreaks of malaria.

Rapid urbanization is also affected by industrialization, climate change, conflicts and natural disasters that all affect
urban water systems. Climate change is resulting in weather patterns that create everything from long droughts to
flooding, tsunamis and earthquakes, all are increasingly affecting water.

Addressing rapid urbanization will require sustainable water management practices by all stakeholders.
Governments will have to establish proper pollution control and flood prevention systems to ensure sustainable and
equitable use of urban water resources.


CAWASA Inc.

World Water Facts

· Half of humanity lives in cities where urban population grows by two persons every second;
· Africa and Asia will see their urban populations double by 2020;
· The UN estimates that more than 3 billion people may suffer from water shortages by 2025.
· Only 8% of the world's fresh water is suitable for domestic consumption, whilst water consumption
is growing twice as fast as the population increases;
· Up to three-quarters of the earth's surface is water, but less than 0.03% is drinkable;
· Less than 3% of the world's freshwater is available for human consumption;
· 1.2 billion people in developing countries lack access to safe sources of water;
· Over 141 million urban dwellers in Latin America and the Caribbean do not have access to safe
drinking water;
· 2.4 billion people lack access to safe sanitation services;
· 3 billion people every year suffer from water-related infections;
· More than 5 million are killed every year mostly by diarrhea-related diseases caused by lack of
water;
· Each day over 10,000 children under the age of five in developing countries die as a result of
illnesses contracted by use of impure water;
· Global demand for fresh water doubles every 20 years, which is twice as fast as human population
growth;
· Millions of women in several countries have to walk at least three miles daily to fetch water;
· World agricultural yield will decrease by 50% by 2020;
· By 2050 the world's water will have to support agricultural systems to produce enough food for an
additional 2.7 billion people;
· More than one billion people in water-poor regions around the world survive each day on the same
amount of water used to flush a toilet or bathe for five minutes only five litres.
· Each person in the world requires only 13 gallons (48 litres) of water per day; in the USA each
person uses an average of 132 gallons (500 litres), Canadians use an average of 79 gallons (300
litres) and in England each person uses 52 gallons ( 200 litres) daily;
· Water is important to production: To manufacture each new car requires use of 39,000 gallons
(148,000 litres) of water;
· Water can be consumed in strange ways: A 60-watt incandescent build can consume up to 6,000
gallons (22,710 litres) of water per year;
· Water and energy are critically interrelated and mutually dependent, as each needs the other:
production of energy requires large amounts of water and production of water requires large
amounts of energy;
· Production of drinking water from impure sources can be quite costly on energy: Processing each
one cubic metre of drinkable water through desalination using reverse osmosis (forcing salty water
through a membrane to remove the salt) requires about 2k Wh of electricity.


CAWASA Inc.

Wise Water Tips
12 Ways You Can Conserve Water
Changing the water situation is all about changing attitudes. A small change in behaviour and attitude can
make a big difference -- and it all begins with saving one drop. Here are a dozen tips on how you can
conserve and save water:

1. Wash Hands Efficiently: Turn off the water while you soap your hands and rinse briefly.

2. Brush teeth Wisely: Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save four gallons a minute.
(That amounts to a family of four saving 200 gallons per week).

3. Flush Only When Necessary: Put paper, insects, hair and other such waste in a trash can instead
of into the toilet bowl.

4. Don't Waste Drinking Water: Instead of keeping the tap running until the warm water gets colder,
keep a pitcher of water in the fridge.

5. Use Less Water For Dishes: Scrape your dishes clean to reduce rinsing; run the dishwasher only
when it's full.

6. Take Half-full Baths: Try bathing in a tub that's only half full to save the water and energy used to
heat it.

7. Shorten Your Showers: Shorter showers save both energy and water. Keeping your shower under
five minutes can save 1,000 gallons per month.

8. Stop Leaks: Turn off water faucets tightly so they don't drip and fix any leaks soonest.

9. Wash Clothes Wisely: Make sure your clothes really need cleaning before washing, ash only when
you have a full load and use cold water whenever possible.

10. Don't Over-water Your Lawn: Water lawns only every three-to-five days in the dry season and
avoid watering driveways, sidewalks and gutters.

11. Sweep to Save: Use a broom, rather than a hose, to clean off sideways and driveways.

12. Wash Cars Wisely: Use a hose nozzle and turn off the water when soaping your car, which can
save at least 100 gallons.


CAWASA Inc.

What price [bottled] water?
Caribbean citizens are paying quite a heavy price to quench their thirst. With each passing
disaster or crisis they have to dig deeper into their pockets to pay more for bottled water, in
addition to their own water bills.

In the process, Caribbean water utilities are also paying a heavy price just to survive and

?
deliver water. Local utilities, mostly out of cash, owed heavily and in debt, can hardly afford
to upgrade their services and improve quality. Heavily regulated, they cannot charge the real
cost of delivery of their product and services. Their cash wells are emptying as their coffers
dry up.

But not so for the importers and distributors of bottled water. Supermarkets and private water
outlets sell bottled water at will -- and at any price. Unregulated and left to the forces of the
marketplace, demand dictates supply and rising costs. The brands are many and the tastes
and quality vary. But with each crisis affecting local water supply, the cost of bottled water
goes up everywhere. The period following Hurricane Tomas was the most recent example, when bottled water
increased in price with each renewed stock.

The competition from bottled water is driving local water utilities down the drain. Kept under state and
ministerial wraps, they have to await tariff increases that don't usually come in less than ten years, while the
cost of producing and supplying water increases every year.

Some of the region's water utilities operate under unfavourable conditions, while other essential public utilities
operate more favourably. In St. Lucia, the national electricity company is allowed, by statute and law, to charge
customers a surcharge to pay the full cost of the company's fuel purchases, according to the prevailing world
market price. But not the national water company, which must both absorb the increases in the cost of its own
fuel and also pay it's share of the electricity company's fuel bill.

It's a case of being “Damned if you do, damned if you don't”, say water management experts of this situation.
But it does not have to be this way, they add.

CAWASA Executive Director Victor Poyotte, who has extensive experience in management and administration
of the regional bodies representing both electricity and water utilities, says the unfair competition from bottled
water simply has to be addressed by the governments and the utilities.

“It's unfair to the region's water utilities for them to be under such heavy manners, without enough finances and
heavily regulated, in a situation where public coffers are dwindling, while our competitors in the private sector
can simply erode our customer base with higher prices for the same product,” he says.

According to Mr Poyotte, “Some people argue that the quality of bottled water is better, but what they fail to see
is that if the local water utilities are given the means and the funds to operate efficiently, we will produce similar
quality that would even be better, considering the contents are purely local.”

Local bottled water production is still very much in its infancy on most of the smaller islands, with bottled water
imports being another source of drainage of foreign exchange.

Planners, looking forward, say each of the local water utilities can themselves look in the direction of bottling
water under highest quality standards. But they insist that until and unless there are radical changes in the
operation, management and regulation of the region's water utilities, they will continue to face the threat of
drowning from the rising volume and pressure of bottled water.


CAWASA Inc.

We only miss the water when…
In the post-Hurricane Tomas period, St. Lucia's Water and Sewage
Company (WASCO), under its continuing financial squeeze, sought
to recover some of its most outstanding debts, which ran into the
millions of dollars.

WASCO embarked on a disconnection drive across the island,
targeting mainly outstanding accounts.

Some customers had owed for several years but were still getting
the service. Others were simply negligent about paying their water
bills, while still others engaged in theft through illegal and
unauthorized connections.

Within a matter of a few weeks, WASCO was able to recover over $3 million in outstanding payments.
Some who had to pay complained about their disconnections, but all soon realized they would remain
without water in their pipes at home if they didn't pay up.

WASCO's positive experience in collection of outstanding payments for water bills was a reminder that we
tend to only miss the water when the well runs dry.

But in this region, there's enough water to avoid any well ever running dry.

Governments and utilities simply have to plan well and plan ahead, then implement decisions without
delay. That done, the results would be as clear as water.


CAWASA Inc.

Guyana to spend $1 Billion to improve urban water distribution
The Government of Guyana will spend one billion dollars in 2011 to
improve delivery of water to urban communities. This was disclosed by
Minister of Housing and Water Irfan Ali, during his message to mark World
Water day on March 22.

Mr Ali said the government of Guyana “has confronted the challenges of
managing water resources in its urban centres with a view of ensuring
quantitatively and qualitatively, the supply of water that matches the
continuous increase in demand, as a result of urban growth, expansion
and modernization.”

Speaking of the water resource in the 214,999 square-kilometer territory
with a total of 18,120 square kilometers of water, he said, “We in Guyana,
the custodians of the Low Carbon Development Strategy, must ensure we
safeguard and preserve our water resource.”

“Over the past five years we have invested over nine billion (Guyana)
dollars to continue the improvement of water delivery in our various urban
centres,” he added.

The minister said his government was “committed to the role of ensuring equitable and sustainable
management and delivery of water to all its citizens.”

Mr Ali said Guyana had faced deadly water woes during “those miserable days in the late 80s and early
90s” when citizens had to walk miles to fetch water.

“Today, the situation has changed dramatically,” the minister said, “But we must therefore safeguard those
gains and ensure we never return to that disastrous period of our water history.”

Guyana twinned its observance of World Water Day 2011 with a seminar in observance of World
Metrology Day under the theme “Responding to the Challenges of the Weather and The Role of Water
Management.”
nd
The seminar was held March 22 at Regency Suites Hotel in Georgetown.


CAWASA Inc.

Tomas taught again that “A stitch in time…”
Hurricane Tomas did a lot to bring the region's water woes to the
fore especially in Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, where its wrath was felt most. Coming just ahead of
the last two months of the year when everyone was already getting
ready for a not-so-bright Christmas, Tomas busted dams and
overflowed rivers, flooded cities, towns and villages -- and cut the
water supply everywhere.

Once again, water was in great demand. And once again, panic
prevailed.

National water utilities, already normally stretched, depended
largely on a combination of local expertise and external assistance
to quickly reconnect water to communities.

Barges arrived in St. Lucia with water utility supplies from the French territories of Martinique, Guadeloupe
and Cayenne (French Guiana). Bottled water was donated by sources as far as the USA and close as
Trinidad & Tobago and neighbouring Dominica.

Communities were re-connected within a week, even though the quality of water in the taps was
understandably of lower-than-usual quality standards.

Fear of water-borne diseases was real and expressed, as citizens lost faith in local utilities and embarked
on an expensive bottled water frenzy.

National relief agencies sought to make up for pipe water by freely distributing donated bottled water to
needy communities and families across the islands.

The panic reactions were real. Water tanks sold like hot bread. Bottled water didn't stay on supermarket
shelves. But from all the panic also came real lessons for all.

The importance of conserving water and ensuring we have adequate supplies at home in case of
emergency was underlined. We also saw that the importance of a water tank is only realized when the
pipe runs dry.

The importance of constantly monitoring dams and water conservancies to ensure adequate levels and
address deficiencies came into focus after major dams quickly went under.

The need for proper pricing policies was realized with the astronomical and fluctuating increase in the
prices of bottled water and water tanks, as well as the cost of transporting water.

The need to always allow relief and emergency agencies to carry out their mandate to ensure equitable
distribution of supplies was also underlined, with isolated communities complaining of neglect and citizens
accusing politicians of favouritism.


CAWASA Inc.

The speed with which dams and conservancies became clogged or were rendered ineffective underlined
the need for regular servicing and monitoring of all aspects of operations.

But the biggest lesson learned is the need for early and accurate assessments of damage to water utilities
after a disaster like Tomas.
With water being an essential service in a region so prone to disasters, Caribbean governments and
utilities need to always consider having or having access to emergency funds to restore water supply.
As the post-Tomas period also shows, repair and restoration of water services after disasters must always
be implemented with the speed and efficiency that will allow them to be in place ahead of the next annual
hurricane season or unexpected disaster.

In effect, in addition to everything else, Tomas taught utilities and consumers alike the importance to
always make “a stitch in time, to save nine…”

CAWASA launches quarterly newsletter to highlight water utility achievements

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CAWASA launches quarterly newsletter to highlight water utility achievements