Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dominica’s premier water supply company, Dominica Water and Sewerage Company (DOWASCO), Louis Patrick Hill, has hinted that customers may eventually benefit from lower rates.
In a statement made yesterday, Hill revealed that this cost reduction depends largely on the company’s success in the exportation of water.
“One of our goals is to actually reduce the cost of water to Dominicans…” he said. “I am of the opinion that if we can do business, and if we can sell water as an export product, then we don’t have to charge the local consumers as much.”
Hill explained that although the current price of water is “very reasonable,” he “would like to see us get to the point where maybe Dominicans don’t have to pay for water, because we are exporting, and it has become such a viable commercial product that we can supply the entire country with very affordable and safe water.”
Thus, he divulged that DOWASCO is currently pursuing a project for the export of bulk and bottled water, in order to generate more revenue, therefore becoming less dependent on government assistance.
“One of the things we would absolutely like to do is to ensure that the company begins to generate more revenues than it is generating currently,” Hill elaborated. “If the company is able to generate revenues on its own, then it becomes less dependent on the government for assistance, and the government revenues can then be used for much more other significant projects, and their uses in the community.”
Hill announced that DOWASCO is discussion with foreign companies which are interested in purchasing bulk and bottled water.
This is not the first plan to maximize on the export potential of the island’s water.
In 2010, General Manager of DOWASCO, Bernard Ettinoffe, stated that the company was expected to adopt marketing strategies towards the creation of a local industry for water exportation, and revealed that there was already foreign interest in the project.
He said that officials were considering partnering with interested parties, to help finance the venture.
In July 2016, Managing Director of Parbel Enterprises, Parry Bellot, announced that the company had made a proposal to the government of Dominica and to the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) for funding to export bulk water from Dominica to other countries in the region.
Also in July, Executive Director of Sisserou Water Inc., Atherton Martin, who has embarked on a similar project, told Dominica News Online (DNO) that exporting water should be Dominica’s top priority.
He noted that while there is enough water in Dominica to satisfy the needs of several islands, the storing of the water in the countries receiving it is a critical hurdle.
Oh oh that’s a first. What took u so long Patrick?
You better have great contacts because we’ve heard that before. Archie, Parry and others have tried but find the market difficult, so good luck it should be done by all means necessary. Keep in mind some like St.Thomas, St.Marten are distilling sea water for their citizens as bad as it tastes. I believe in Dowasco and you should find markets for our plentiful water. The same water Domlec doesn’t have a desire to use hydro to generate. Good luck to you.
Good news. Long overdue!!!
DOWASCO excellent initiative. Dominica has tasty water. I have stated this before. When I was in Dominica after returning in from shopping, I drank a glass of water straight from the kitchen tap. Wow! This felt tasty! I did not even put ice in it. To me, it was not necessary.
God has endowed Dominica with fresh, clean water. The water flows and into the sea. We could say indirectly this is a wastage. Dominica will always have fresh water straight from the mountains. Why not make good use of it and sell it? Once successful, Dominicans may never have to pay for water. However, still urge them not to waste it.
Put pay as you go water….that should increase revenue.
Dominicans wasting water too much.
You probably mean well by your comment but Dowasco is a more classy org than your Domlec that you want them to emulate. We would not wish Domlec on our worse enemy. Dowasco is attempting to think outside the box, not to run Dominicans into the ground with high rates as Domlec is doing. Do you see how dark our communities are when the sun goes down? People used to have lights on outside their homes, until Domles came in and also messed up our hydro not reinvesting in it to help lower rates.
Why do these guys make promises based on events over which they have little control.
There has been talk of exporting water for decades to no avail, not he makes people believe they may pay lower rates.
interesting….DOWASCO reported in excess of damage cost of over 50Million, after TS Ericka, their systems are still lagging behind, Dowasco has failed miserable to give it’s customers are high end product, a little drizzle and either you have chocolate or no water at all, with the massive sales of dominican passports all over the globe, why hasn’t Dowasco gotten funds to improve the service for locals…
It’s a big joke, when investors come here to see how backward Dowasco’s plans are for storage etc. they just take water and distribute that’s all.
So the issue of lower rates to customers is a joke, it won’t happen, under another regime which knows to first revamp it’s operations locally and then move forward.
Dominica is just about talk and more talk, after sixteen years under a regime cloaked with tricks and deception!