Minutes

CBWMP Inc holds successful 3rd Stakeholders Conference and 14th AGM


The Caribbean region’s leading agency of water operators has had a change of name.

The former Caribbean Basin Water Management Programme (also called CBWMP), will now be known as “The Caribbean Water and Sewerage Association (CAWASA).”

With the new name also comes a new logo, as the regional entity enters a new phase in its continuing development and expansion of services to member utilities and other affiliates.

The decision on the new name and logo was taken when the CBWMP Inc, which unites water and sewerage utilities, in collaboration with the Water Corporation of Anguilla, held its 3rd Annual Stakeholders Conference on Thursday, 2nd December 2010 at the Paradise Cove Hotel in The Valley, Anguilla.

The theme for the conference was “Building Utility Capacity through Global Partnership.”

Addressing the conference was Rommel Hughes, CEO of the Water Corporation of Anguilla, who welcomed participants on behalf of the host utility.

Mr. Bernard Ettinoffe, President of CBWMP who delivered opening remarks on behalf of the association, clarified the objectives of the conference. He noted they were to acknowledge the support received from regional and international partners, to share with them progress made in joint ventures, and to keep them abreast with the plans, programs and projects undertaken by the association.

Executive Director, Victor Poyotte, updated participants on efforts by the Secretariat to build regional and international partnerships during the past two  years.

Hon. Evan Gumbs, Anguilla’s Minister for Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Agriculture and Fisheries, outlined the policies of the Government of Anguilla on matters relating to water and sanitation.

The highlight of the conference was a feature presentation on “Novel Contract Structure for New Ground Water Winning — A Tobago Success Story” by Dr. Utam Marahaj, a consultant on development projects, including some with ground water suppliers.

There were also a number of technical and business development presentations made at the conference on the following topics:

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)for water utilities, by Shawn Charles of Geo-data Services;
  • Effective Utility Management Programme for the Caribbean by Valerie Jenkinson of World Water and Wastewater Solutions;
  • Non-Revenue Water Reduction by Richard Whiting, Vice President, Business Development, Seven Seas Water Corporation;
  • Prospects for CBWMP/CWWA Collaboration by Wayne Williams, President of  CWWA;
  • Approach to Achieving an AWWA Caribbean Section by Don Degan, Vice President, AWWA;
  • SCADA System for Caribbean Water Utilities by Howard Jampolsky of Scadex, Canada;
  • Wastewater Treatment from Septic Tanks to Membrane Bioreactors by Keria Fitzgerald, Vice President, TSG Technologies Inc.; and
  • Kenneth Welch, Regional Domain Leader for BOO/Mobile, General Electric Power & Water.

At the end of the conference activities, President Ettinoffe unveiled the new name and logo for the association.

On the next day, 3rd December 2010, the new entity, CAWASA, convened its first business session under the new name and logo – which would have been the 14th Annual General Meeting of the CBWMP — at the La Vue Hotel.

That first CAWASA meeting adopted the Annual Progress Report of the Secretariat for the financial year 2010/11 and the Annual Work Plan and Budget for the financial year 2010/11. It also approved the Audited Statements for the period ending 30th June 2010 and the appointment of auditors for the ensuing year.

Directors also endorsed the Concept Note for a joint CWWA-CBWMP project proposal submitted to the European Union Water Facility for consideration and approved participation of CAWASA in the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS).

All members of the Executive Committee were returned unopposed. They are: Bernard Ettinoffe of DOWASCO (Dominica) as President, Christopher Husbands  of NAWASA (Grenada) as Vice President, Ivan Rodrigues of APUA (Antigua) as Secretary and John Joseph of WASCO (St. Lucia) as Treasurer.

CAWASA’s Executive Director Victor Poyotte says the old entity undertook a new name and logo as part of an overall thrust towards overall improvement of its operations for the future.

“We will be starting the new year with a new name, but the old problems still remain, so we will also be coming up with new approaches to address them in 2011 and beyond.

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