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WATER AND SEWERAGE CORPORATION Committed to Growth, Committed to Quality

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EXTENSION OF WATER AND SEWERAGE CORPORATION (WSC) AND MIYA BAHAMAS LTD.NEW PROVIDENCE NON-REVENUE WATER (NRW) CONTRACT EXTENSION

New Providence, The Bahamas: The Corporation (WSC) is pleased to announce that we have signed a Contract Extension with MIYA Bahamas Limited to extend our New Providence Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Contract up to 31st December, 2026 which is inclusive of a comprehensive plan to transition the management of the NRW programme from MIYA to WSC.
The original Contract was signed on February 17, 2012, and expired on April 16, 2022. After review, it was decided to extend the contract to December 31, 2026 to allow for a planned and structured transfer of responsibility for this programme from MIYA Bahamas Limited to the Corporation when the new administration took office in September 2021.
This 4-year extension is valued at $19.1 million dollars which includes $14.5 million dollars in fixed fees and $4.6 million in performance fees. When combined with the prior Contract, the total Contract price to date is $106,746,750.
Partnerships of this nature are ones we see as the future of this Corporation driven by innovation. The principal highlights of this Contract Extension are: –

  1. A focus on building the institutional capacity within WSC with a WSC shadowing team fully in place by the end of 2023 (Year 1) and this team fully capable of taking over the project by the end of 2025 (Year 3).
  2. The achievement of a NRW target of 1.5 million imperial gallons per day by the end of 2026 (Year 4). The present NRW is in the 3.5 million imperial gallons per day range.
    When project work began in January 2013, the NRW was 6.87 million imperial gallons per day, and WSC was having difficulty supplying New Providence with water continuously for 24 hours a day. Instead, water supply was being rationed with many areas without water supply for several hours each today. Our sales were in the range of around 5.3 million imperial gallons per day and it was difficult for us to attract any new major customers given our very challenging circumstances.
    As we prepare to observe Earth Day on April 22nd, we are reminded of the significant choices the WSC had to make in 2010 on whether to continue expanding the production of energy-intensive desalinated water, which is highly dependent on imported fossil fuels. We made the bold decision to implement a program to reduce NRW based on performance, using water leading NRW experts in collaboration with Bahamian field teams and contractors.

This programme was honored with the 2022 WEX (The Water and Energy Exchange) Global Award in the category of Innovation in Financial Partnership held in Valcencia, Spain. Also, at the recent Caribbean Regional Conference held in Trinidad; this NRW programme was touted as a regional success story.
According to the project’s performance targets, it is predicted that the program has already saved close to 13.68 billion imperial gallons of water. By the end of 2026, these savings should reach 19.75 billion imperial gallons. The amount saved on water purchases is around $153,062,500, however that figure excludes the cost of any new infrastructure put in place as part of the project nor other WSC internal operational efficiency improvements.
Most importantly, the NRW programme has facilitated a marked increase in the reliability and continuity of WSC’s New Providence water supply with 24/7 supply now in place for many years and in parallel, WSC has been able to increase our water sales from approximately 5.3 million imperial gallons per day in 2013 to over 7.5 million imperial gallons per day with no increase in water production.
Most importantly, the NRW programme has enabled a significant improvement in the consistency and reliability of the Corporation’s New Providence water supply, which is now available around-the-clock for many years. In addition, WSC has been able to increase its water sales from about 5.3 million imperial gallons per day in 2013 to over 7.5 million imperial gallons per day with no increase in water production.
This Administration’s efforts to put the Corporation on the path to becoming a world-class water and sanitation utility that meets and exceeds its customers’ expectations, is financially viable, and operates in full compliance with all environmental regulations are dependent on the success of this project, which the Corporation is extremely pleased with. The continued success of this project in New Providence and the planned implementation of a similar project in the Family Islands are also crucial pillars in this Administration’s efforts. ### About the WSC
Since 1976, The Water and Sewerage Corporation has been committed to fostering growth and excellence in service quality through the management, upkeep, distribution, and development of water resources. The Corporation has a team of over 400 dedicated employees across the nation who share a passion for delivering service excellence, which is the guiding light that drives and sustains the relationships with customers, employees, and the communities that the Corporation serves. To learn more visit wsc.com.bs or our social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, and You Tube).
Contact:
Nikolette Elden | T: 302-5742 |E: wcnelden@@wsc.com.bs