The Caribbean Water and Sewage Association (CAWASA) hosted its 8th Caribbean Water Operators Conference in Saint Vincent & The Grenadines from June 25 to 27 — and participants, organizers and guests left the multi-island state complimenting the overall organization and hosting of the event as (according to one key player): “A remarkable display of superlative Vincentian hospitality.”
The three-day event at the Beachcombers Hotel at Villa Beach in Kingstown, was sponsored by the Saint Lucia-based CAWASA, an industry body that connects the Caribbean’s water industry, representing 12 publicly-owned water utilities and five private sector affiliates and providing water and sewage services to nearly 400,000 customers Caribbean-wide.
The conference, was addressed and declared open by top Vincentian government and regional water officials, including Minister for Health, Wellness and Environmental Affairs St. Clair Prince, Chair of the Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA) Girlyn Miguel, CAWASA President Benard Etinoff and CAWASA Executive Director Ignatius Jean.
The keynote speaker was Grenadian Civil and Sanitary Engineer Terrence Smith and the conference was also attended by representatives of the island’s water utility and their regional counterparts.
Water operators from CAWASA member-states across the Caribbean and top related regional and international financial and developmental entities also attended and participated.
As per usual, the conference, though designed for water operators, also discussed matters pertaining to CAWASA’s core service interests, including Employee Development through training, attachments and internships, as well as knowledge-sharing, networking and cooperating in urban water environments.
Also discussed through workshops were themes relating to new and emerging technologies, Pubic Communications, Continuing Education, Building Climate Resilient water sectors, Mitigating Critical Regional Water Scarcity and Nature-based Wastewater Treatment.
They also reviewed roles of water operators in matters of Emergency Response and Recovery Programs (like Hurricane Beryl’s effects on the Grenadine islands in 2024 and Capacity Development and learning Through Water Operator Partnerships.
Participants witnessed exhibitions of new and emerging technologies, including portable aquifer desalination plants and visited the Perseverance Water Treatment Plant.
According to CAWASA Executive Director Jean, the conference ended with “recommendations for ever-improving the stake and future of the region’s water sector” from keynote speaker Smith, including “vigorously pursuing policies for effective Reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in the Caribbean’s Water Sector.”
Participants also discussed “Mitigating Climate Risks by participating fully in the Caribbean Water Utilities Insurance Composite (CWUIC) — and emulating ‘lessons’ from membership by Grenada’s National Water and Sewage Authority (NAWASA).”
The conference called for “more investment by public and private authorities in the people who actually deliver water to homes, communities and businesses nationally – the Water Operators – whose continuing education remains critical to Build Overall Resilience, through enhanced Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).”
According to Jean, participants also called for “improved wastewater management” across the region, “noting how critical it is to Sustainable Environment, Livelihoods and Economic Development.”
A call was also made for “exploring nature-based solutions like constructed wetlands.”
The conference advocated “improving on-site sewerage systems and called for revised legislative and regulatory frameworks for wastewater management.”
The 8th Caribbean Water Operators Conference acknowledged support of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) — and for the first time, the support and participation of the Development Bank of Latin American and the Caribbean (CAF) and the The World Bank.
The World Bank representative presented on the Pro Blue Programme launched in Saint Lucia (June 23-24, 2025), with a focus on sanitation and wastewater management in the Caribbean.
Participants commended the Emergency Response Planning under auspices of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Authority (CDEMA) with the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Technical Working Group (TWG), co-chaired by CAWASA, Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) and the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with NGOs such as the US-based Non- Government Organization (NGO) Global Support and Development (GSD) and the private sector.
(GSD is s non-profit dedicated to working alongside regional, national and local communities, to strengthen resilience to crises through rapid response and disaster preparedness. Guided by humanitarian principles and the values of integrity, accountability and humility, it focuses on building better responses, led by strong national systems capable of coordinating effective, timely, and impactful disaster response efforts.)
The Katadyn Group gave a hands-on demonstration of their Aquifer 4000 Portable Desalination System, offering an appreciation of a valuable backup system during a crisis, converting abundant sea water to drinking water — in quick time.
But while all the discussion of developmental issues and improvement for water and sewage sectors offered fruitful recommendations for consideration by the water authorities across the region, the Water Operators Competition was the usual highlight: a thrilling and friendly battle among peers demonstrating adaptability and skill through safe and speedy implementation of daily water delivery tasks.
The Operators Competition, held at the CWSA’s Solid Waste Unit Facility, included competitors displaying skills in Pipe-laying and Joining, Service Connection and Installation of Valves.
Following the attractive competition for what some media houses describe as Caribbean Water Operators’ ‘Bragging Rights’, the 1st Place in the 2025 competition went to members of the host nation’s CWSA team: Lemrey Roberts and Joelan Malcolm
The 2nd Place was won by Saint Kitts Water and Sewerage Department’s team members Nevon Kelly and Milton Taylor, while 3rd Place went to Montserrat Utilities Limited’s Kriston Aymer and Ashton Henry.
The field trip to the Perseverance Water Treatment Plant and a walk through the rainforest to the catchment was said by participants to be very educational and informative.
Participating Water Operators were again able to appreciate the challenges faced by their counterparts in managing the treatment plant during the Soufriere Volcano Eruption in 2020 and post Hurricane Beryl in 2024, among numerous other events.
Participants witnessed a slow sand filter system under construction — an in-house project by engineers and technical staff of the CWSA and a new Aquaclara system modeled from the Agua Para El Pueblo (APP) of Honduras.
One Water Operator described the conference as “worth every minute” and another said it was “A good experience that reminds everyone of our important role in taking water from the source to all the nation’s taps…”
The conference also honoured the “tremendous contributions” of CAWASA Programs Officer Suzanne Joseph, for her 26 years of service to the regional entity, which has made her “a repository of institutional memory” whose commitment to fostering collaboration among member-utilities, operators and partners has strengthened CAWASA’s mission and impact.”
Mrs Joseph was also appreciated for her “pivotal role in coordinating operator certification and training, liaising with utilities and ensuring the seamless administration of the Secretariat.”
She was thanked overall for “her invaluable service, steadfast leadership and enduring legacy in advancing water sector excellence.”
Executive Director Jean, who led the CAWASA delegation, said the conference was “A remarkable display of superlative Vincentian hospitality.”
He commended the host nation and organizers and concluded that “Once again, our region’s water operators have assured the Caribbean that it’s water resources are always good, in their hands.”
Previous Water Operators Conferences have been held in Grenada (2015), Dominica (2017), Saint Lucia (2019) – followed by a break during the COVID-19 Pandemic – and resumed in Barbados in 2023.
Based in Saint Lucia since its incorporation in 1996, CAWASA’s main activities focus on core areas such as: Employee Development, Operators Certification, Networking, Advocacy, Research and Utility Development.