Water problems facing South African city Cape Town is being seen as an opportunity by a Dominica company to step in and fill the void.
International media reports indicate that in 10 weeks engineers will turn off water for a million homes as Cape Town reacts to a one-in-384-year drought.
“The rich are digging boreholes, more are panic-buying bottled water, and the army is on standby,” the reports indicate.
They’ve explained that the authorities intend dealing with the shortage by establishing 200 water collection points scattered around the city, to ensure the legally guaranteed minimum of 25 litres per person per day within 200 metres of every citizen’s home.
However Nature Isle company Sisserou Water Inc of Dominica is weighing in, it says, in the bid to provide an acceptable solution for the water shortage expected to hit Cape Town by April.
The Company says it is in direct discussions with the Cape Town South African Water Authority for the supply of fresh bulk drinking water.
It says in a press release that “Sisserou Water Inc of Dominica has offered up to 500,000,000 liters per week ( enough Water for about 1.5 million people per week) of fresh drinking water” during the period of crisis.
The company statement says the supply of fresh water to Cape Town would be a post-Hurricane Maria economic benefit for Dominica, and a great drought relief effort for the people of that South African city.
It’s not clear if Sisserou Water Inc has already launched its water exporting initiative and which countries it is exporting to at the moment.
There were media reports in 2011, in 2015 and last year that the Sisserou Water business was about to take off.
Available information suggests that the company was granted a government license to export water back in December 2009.
Sisserou Water Inc. Dominica is hoping the talks it says are ongoing with Cape Town authorities will at last bear fruit and leave the critics in no doubt that the company is serious about effectively utilizing one of Dominica’s natural resources – water.
UPDATE:
DNO was able to speak to Managing Director Tim Jilek just before publishing this article.
He explained that while the Company has not yet made any commercial exporting of water, it has been working on exporting to Antigua and Barbuda and Anguilla, and came “close to doing so”.
Jilek said too that the proposed exporting of bulk water to Cape Town would have to be done in conjunction with DOWASCO.
He indicated that it would take about three weeks after getting the go-ahead, to launch Sisserou Water Inc.’s exporting operations to South Africa.
Do people yet understand that all the weather that has taken place over more than the last 15 years is manipulated. They have the capability to make it rain buckets in the desert, if they want to. Apparently due to pollution as well as weather manipulation, which has been going on over the last 50 yrs., has destroyed the natural atmosphere around the earth and now, as anyone can see from what goes on in the skies with the aerial spraying, the weather is manipulated daily. So man is now in charge of daily weather, manipulation be it wind, rain, snow, hurricanes, etc. They can bring on a drought. They can just as easily bring on a hurricane.
Sell SIsserou Water to the rest of the Caribbean… then this Capetown idea would be a little more plausible. I just don’t understand sitting on a license since 2009 and nothing has been done right here in the Caribbean… and now trans-Atlantic to South Africa? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to get water from countries neighboring South Africa or even other parts of South Africa? I applaud the vision, but goodness, start in the Caribbean… from the Bahamas to Trinidad… that’s a lot of closer-to-home markets.
Coca-Cola promises millions of litres of relief water. – the bottles would be clearly marked “not for resale” read the article for all further relief efforts
https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/news/dayzero-coca-cola-promises-millions-of-litres-of-relief-water-13049796
I can’t see the logistics.
“It says in a press release that “Sisserou Water Inc of Dominica has offered up to 500,000,000 liters per week ( enough Water for about 1.5 million people per week) of fresh drinking water” during the period of crisis.”
Admin that figure looks a bit off, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake with a zero? that’s a lot for weekly supplies to South Africa….. I mean how many days does it take a cargo boat to reach South Africa?
About a week depending on the weather
DOWASCO cant provide water to Dominicans post Maria but they are aiding in supplying 500,000,000 liters per week. HMMM
Sorry to disappoint you but this is a pipe dream – no pun intended. There are much closer suppliers who will beat us on shipping cost alone! The other issue is the fact that this is a problem of mismanagement of the South Africa water supply which is wasted on mining and other industrial activity requiring a great deal of water. Solutions were put forward by European partners since in 2010! Please do some research.
“Not understanding this they are talking about exporting but still needs okay from local water authority”
Well their talking about exporting 500,000,000 liters a week, the local water authority has to make sure it doesn’t effect the water supply for Dominica.
I admire the business initiative however I don’t believe in going from my brothers downfall. I think we should offer them water free of charge if they can find a way to come and get it. Drought is a natural disaster just like Hurricane Maria. Can you imagine if other countries charged us for food and water after Maria? Let’s be our brothers keeper.
Haven’t heard anything about Sisserou water for a long time, but it seems that they haven’t made any progress since then.
Boy Athie have guts weeeeh!! You mean after all tbe years with a license in his back pocket to ship water over seas and that is since 2009. He could not sent a litre to his nearby neighbour. Niw he wants to go all the way to Capetown. Should this man be given a listening ear?
“Not understanding this they are talking about exporting but still needs okay from local water authority”
It makes sense, you don’t want them exporting so much water that the water supply in Dominica starts to get too low. There talking about exporting 500,000,000 liters a week.
Why do you plan to supply a product if you can’t maintain
Think please before writing
The first thing is established a contract with the water company then you move forward.
You can not build a business without a plan
For obvious reasons, maybe shipments to Antigua can be started as a pilot project, and then look at the transatlantic journey to South Africa, bearing in mind the 3 relevant comments above and other issues. From another point of view, I would receive tremendous satisfaction if the historical transatlantic journey that brought 99.9% of us here was now reversed with descendants exporting water to the continent. Best wishes.
Don’t tell me he is looking for government CBI money to finance this. Honestly, Cape Town is closer to the Antarctic, which is full of the purest water on earth, than it is to Dominica. I wish it would work but I expect to see an iceberg towed to S.Africa .Africa before I see a tanker of water from Dominica arriving in Walvis Bay.
The are lots more rivers on the continent of Africa. What the people who are talking forget they do not understand is that the drought in South Africa is not only affecting a population’s drinking water. People in South Africa do agricultural farming also, so how is this Dominican idea is going to solve the drought problems many thousands of miles away.
Let’s be realest, there are people right now in Dominica, and even prior to Maria who had water issues in our country which historically boast three hundred sixty-five flowing rivers into Sea, if we are yet unable to running water into every home shack, or house in our country, worry about South Africa?
Finally, Antigua does not have any fresh running water, no fresh water springs, or a river: Nevertheless, I was informed that bottled water from Antigua, and other parts of the Caribbean are sold in Dominica.
So, what seems to be a bright Dominica idea; is stupid, and hypocritical, nonsensical wast of time talk!
Well Jilek and the Chairman of that Company will have to clear the air for you Mr. Telemacque… The license was issued since 2009, guess they were waiting on the South African drought to start the business going… I think one of your good political friend is deeply involved in this “Waste of Time” venture so i suggest you give him a call……. Right on Q before the Mat came!!!!
@ Francisco just imagine some one coming up with a business plan for such venture ???
First this must be a joke. You will need a water tank there meaning capital to buy the land plus build the tank. Buy or lease a water tanker. LLC permits. Liability insurance. Sign agreements with local water companies. Plus staff and then you have to figure out how you going to get paid.
The fuel cost to get alone and you already in debt ?
Great analysis, at least you understood what I try to convey even if some words were accidentally left out, and some wrong spelling.
The problem with our people is that they believe they have the resolve for all the World’s problems, but when it gets close to home we look forward to begging. If one is going to transport water to South Africa, you need not one but a series of Water Tankers.
Who in Dominica have that kind of money to erect a bulk instillation plant large enough to resolve problems caused by a drought. Having a license to sell, transport, or export or import something means nothing if the idea is a stupid idea, and this is a stupid idea.
If push come to shoving the South Africans can set up a desalination plant and get fresh water out of salt water, it will be cheaper to do that than importing water from Dominica.
Great effort towards export.
My main question is though, have Nature Isle company Sisserou Water Inc. of Dominica already secured the mode of transportation for bulk water? That is to say, whether they have purchased or leased special vessels for the effective healthy and sanitary transoceanic transportation of bulk water.
And another concern is the Shipment or transshipment costs and duration of single shipment voyage.
I raise these, not necessarily to start seeing all kinds of mountains and obstacles, but I beleive if we know the mountains or obstacles we are better able to pursue this very welcomed opportunity for trade and investment and fostering closer diplomatic and trade links in meeting a need of the home of our ancestors. Water is Life – both physically and spiritually.
I pray Nature Isle company Sisserou Water Inc of Dominica ALL THE SUCCESS !!!
Great points. The mere fact that these issues were not addressed in the article, leads me to believe that there are no plans to address this issue thus far.
Sisserou Water Inc Dominica has the possibility to lease the required tanker vessels with sanitary acceptability for transportation of bulk drinking water, purchase of vessels would be a future consideration based on the long term prospects of the sale contracts. do the economics work for transportation and sale of the water, this all depends on the Buyers ( our case local water authorities ) per liter/gallon price to the consumers.
Sisserou Water Inc can very close to getting this all arranged for the Caribbean Island clients, but this Capetown project to larger, more volume and cost therefore decrease.
Sisserou Water Guarantees that what ever develops will only positive for the people of Dominica and Sisserou Water will not do anything that is stressing or causing a negative impact on the local water supply or people of Dominica
finally we all hope that Capetown South Africa can solve this problem for the long term, we only offering to give the assistance as required
I am so thankful to you Tim Jilek, for taking the time out to address those areas of interest to us. We so want this initiative to succeed and come to fruition in an initial contract. What is more important is to be able to sustain it and maintain the superlative quality of Dominican water and hence those points of interest raised. Thanks for addressing them. Most appreciated.
Not only that, do they have facilities to load these ships or access to DOWASCO’s outlets to be able to do so. AS our rainy season intensifies these days how will they ensure consistency of clean drinking water if our rivers etc are dirty during one or 2 weeks. it is one thing to secure a market, it is another thing to consistently supply with satisfaction. Like Mr. Cadette i raise these questions as motters for consideration of the Sisserour water people, not to simply criticize. all the best
All you think South Africa is round the corner nuh?
Just 10,043 km! Maybe Sisserou Water Inc. plans to invest in a transatlantic water line that would run from the mouth of the Melville Hall River to Cape Town located near the southern tip of that country
Not understanding this they are talking about exporting but still needs okay from local water authority. Do they have the tanker to ship the water. You talking about a couple millions to get this project started plus having to pay the local company for using their lines.
DNO are you still reporting from Houston and how your staff back home making out, any follow up
ADMIN: Thank you for your concern. We have been operating from Dominica since the end of October 2017 albeit at reduced levels. Like all businesses in Dominica we have been greatly affected by hurricane Maria. However, we are not daunted, we continue to work to restore DNO operations to its pre-Maria levels and far beyond. We are dedicated more than ever to being the trusted, independent medium that serves all Dominicans here and abroad.
Well done Dno you are doing a great job for the Dominican public ,nice to have you back home.
DNO, thanks for what you do.