Thursday, October 4th, was a red letter day in the history of water supply services in Anguilla. It marked the signing of a contract between Seven Seas Water and the Water Corporation of Anguilla (WCA), the island’s public water provider. The signing of the contract took place in the office of Caribbean Juris Chambers, while the actual handing over ceremony was held on the grounds of the said office.
An opening prayer of invocation was offered by Mr. Malcolm Webster, a board member of the WCA. He expressed gratitude to God, on behalf of the Water Corporation, for enabling them to begin a new chapter in the development of Anguilla, and asked that they would be further enabled to fulfill the mandate as the solitary local water provider. The national anthem and national song were rendered following the prayer.
The Honourable Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, made remarks on the journey that had brought the government to that point of partnership with Seven Seas Water. He noted: “We are here today to support the Water Corporation in the handing over to a new producer of water, Seven Seas Water, which is operating in St. Maarten.
“The record of Seven Seas shows that they have been doing an excellent job in St. Maarten, and based upon that fact we have considered them. We do believe that the synergies that can be created by having that responsibility for producing water in St. Maarten, and producing water in Anguilla, will be excellent in terms of the delivery of those services.
“Seven Seas Water is now taking up the mantle of water production here, and we look forward to them living up to their reputation which they have established in St. Maarten. I am confident that, with the exuberance and hands-on approach of the Minister of Utilities and the Board, they will do an excellent job.
“I would like to thank the former water producer, Caribbean Water Treatment Ltd., for the work that they have done so far. But there comes a time when we need to move on, and I think that we are moving on very strongly.
“I would also like to thank the Chairman of Social Security, Mr. Sean Richard. I want to assure him that Social Security’s contribution to facilitate this process has been in keeping with what we believe Social Security represents — an institution that is most important in Anguilla’s national development.”
The Chief Minister continued by stating: “The Minister of Public Utilities is a very impatient man. I try not to curb his impatience and his exuberance when he wants to pursue something for the national good. But I always have to say to him that, regardless of how impatient he might be, things have got to take their course.”
The Chief Minster was alluding to the degree of anxiety that the Minister of Utilities displayed ever since he was sworn into office: eager to make the availability of excellent water services one of his prime priorities.
The Honourable Minister of Utilities, Mr. Curtis Richardson, then took the podium and reflected: “When I came to Office I realized that water was in a chaotic state. My first inspiration was to reach out to Mr. Mario Bento, of Caribbean Water Treatment Ltd., the outgoing contracted water producer. Today, as he hands over national water production in Anguilla, on behalf of the people of Anguilla, I wish to thank him for being so gracious and compassionate in the early stages, making a way where there had seemed to be none.”
Mr. Richardson mentioned that as he looked back, he also thanks a good corporate citizen, Mr. Leonardo Rizzuto of Cuisinart Resort and Residencies, as well as Cuisinart’s current General Manager, Mr. Stephan Zaharia, for so willingly assisting with a solution to alleviate the water shortage in the western part of the island.
The Chairman of the Board of the Water Corporation, Mr. John “Chris” Richardson, remarked: “My Board and I are determined to move the operations of the water facility forward. As Chairman, it is my role to set a certain tone for the Board. Hence we have embarked on five broad areas: 1. improving the supply of water to meet the objectives of the WCA; 2. providing water that is affordable and reliable and of a high quality; 3. establishing standards for workers; 4. restructuring the corporation to meet current demands; and 5. auditing of the Water Corporation of Anguilla.”
The Chairman surmised that some people may ask, ‘why change the water producer?’ He quoted the words of James Baldwin who once said: ‘not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.’ He said that they had to make the change because they were tired of the rhetoric while facing breakdowns with long delays.
The Chairman continued: “I wish to thank all those who worked tirelessly, including the former Attorney General, Mr. John McKendrick, who played a great role in this exercise. I also thank Attorney John Benjamin who is a man who really thinks ‘outside the box’. In addition, I wish to thank all the staff members who worked so hard to make water delivery a reality.”
In addition, the Chairman offered high praise to Mr. Hubert Lopez, the Consultant to the WCA, who had dedicated his time and unwavering effort in often meeting with the Board and giving sound advice on the changeover.
Senior Vice President of Seven Seas Water, Mr. Fredrick Hung, then responded by expressing his thanks and appreciation for the trust that had been placed in his company. He was accompanied by the former Lieutenant Governor of St. Maarten, Mr. Frank Richardson, now Seven Seas Managing Director, who echoed Mr. Hung’s sentiments and pledged to do his part in delivering an optimum quality water service to Anguilla.
Mr. Hung thanked all those who had played a part in bringing about the handover. He testified that Seven Seas Water has been functioning consistently for ten years in St. Maarten and, since their operations began there, freely flowing water has never ceased. He vowed to bring the same kind of reliable service to Anguilla through the Water Corporation.
