Blog

Date: Friday November 30th, 2018

Time: 4:30 P.M.

Location: Main Office Yard, Carenage, St. George's

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 10^TH, 2018, ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA: The National Water and Sewerage Authority has expended approximately two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) on upgrading the water system serving residents of Brooklyn in St. John.

A water storage tank was constructed years ago to serve the community.  However, due to demand on the Concord Water System, which serves Concord (including the Brooklyn community), through to the Town St. George; low pressure affected the tank being filled. 

In the past, NAWASA’s water tankers journeyed to the community on a regular basis, to fill the tank.  However, this provided only a temporary solution, as customers were still challenged with an inadequate supply.

The recently completed Brooklyn water system upgrade, addresses the longstanding issue of hydraulics, with the installation of a larger supply line and an instrument that would automatically regulate pressure to the tank at night, when demand on the main line is low, allowing for complete system recharge.

Manager of NAWASA’s Planning and Development Department Mr. Whyme Cox, notes that “at night-time the tank is going to full up and when the tank is full it normally lasts a week.  So, even if it gets 15 minutes of water every night it will be sufficient to ensure that the tank is always full.As an organization our interest is just ensuring that people have a consistent supply of water”.

After just over two months of tedious work, residents of Brooklyn will see improvement in the consistency of their water supply.

One of the eighteen schools benefiting under the National Water and Sewerage Authority’s (NAWASA’s) Schools Community Water Storage project, has welcomed the initiative, not just for its impact on the student population but the community effect.

The J.W. Fletcher Catholic Secondary School, which is one of the last to have its tank installed, is excited about being reincluded on the list of Emergency Shelters.

According to Vice Principal of the school Mr. Kwame Hypolit because of the absence of water storage, the school was removed from the list last year.  NAWASA installing a 1000-gallon water storage tank at the school, improves its potential for being put back on the list.  “We’re a hurricane shelter and we were deregulated sometime last year because we did not have the storage facility” said Mr. Hypolit, who also indicated that “NaDMA putting us provisionally, with the thought of having the tank, we’re rather happy about it so we can continue that outreach that we have for our community and ensuring that we have the necessaries in place for that aspect also”.

About the partnership between NAWASA, NaDMA and CDEMA Mr. Hypolit says “It shows the importance of partnership.  It allows agencies to work together”. 

With the project now complete, over five thousand students are benefiting directly.  Launched in January of this year,it has seen the completion of installation at all the benefiting schools, meaning that schools,which were previously forced to close their doors during stoppages in the supply of water, will no longer be faced with that challenge.

One of the students, who participated in the installation at the J.W. Fletcher Catholic Secondary School, noted the benefit not only to the school but community.  “As you know we are a hurricane shelter and as you may know we are in the hurricane season, so we all have to be prepared on a whole.  So, we really like to thank NAWASA for supplying us with the tank because it’s not only beneficial to us as students but also to people in the community”.

The last two schools to have their tanks installed were the J.W. Fletcher Catholic Secondary on September 7^th, 2018 and Bonair Government September 24^th, 2018. 

Principal of the Bonair Government School, Mr. Terry Francis, indicated that the installation of the 1000-gallon water storage tank is really important to his school.  “I thinks it’s a fantastic initiative because I think schools really need the help now because the ministry by itself, they cannot do it.  So, if corporate citizens could come onboard, we think it would do a lot for the schools” he said.

The project also strengthens the capacity of the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA), for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme in Grenada, with many of the beneficiaries listed by NADMA as designated emergency shelters.

National Disaster Coordinator Superintendent Sylvan McIntyre, was on hand for the installation at the J.W. Fletcher Catholic Secondary School, he lauded the initiative saying “too much praise is not enough to really shower towards this initiative”.

Superintendent McIntyre noted that“For us in disaster management this is a bright moment because it has multiple impact for disaster risk management issues and so in times of crisis, water, we understand, is something of critical importance… and to see that NAWASA is extending its arms towards the schools, it’s an initiative that has to be applauded that should go a very, very, long way and the mere fact that we have the installation of these tanks and protection mechanisms are included in it, it’s also something that the general public could benefit from”. 

During periods of excessive rainfall or drought, NAWASA sometimes faces difficulty in providing a continuous supply of water and as a result there are often stoppages in supply throughout the state for varying periods, resulting in school closure as a consequence of this challenge.

Tanks were installed at the Green Street Pre-Primary, Constantine Methodist, Presentation Brothers College, St. Rose Modern Secondary, St. John’s Christian Secondary, Happy Hill Secondary, Grand Roy Government, Concord Government, Vendome R.C, St. Dominic’s R.C, St. Andrew’s School for Special Education, Grenada Christian Academy, Florida Government, Tivoli R.C.,St. Andrew’s Anglican Primary, Telescope Primary, J.W. Fletcher Catholic Secondary and Bonair Government Schools.

The project was completed at a cost of $60,000 Euros.

Three National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) employees are back home, having spent three weeks in Dominica assisting Dominica Water and Sewerage Company (DOWASCO) workers with the restoration of the islands water supply.

NAWASA officials welcomed Gerard Simon, Garvin Jones and Kurt Edwards back to Grenada on Thursday November 23rd, 2017 following their tour of duty in the Hurricane Maria ravaged island of Dominica.

The three employees, who volunteered their time were greeted by at the Maurice Bishop International Airport by General Manager Mr. Christopher Husbands, Manager and Assistant Manager of Transmission and Distribution Mr. Joel Thomas and Ernest Bruno, and Human Resource Manager Mrs. Pansy Ventour.

Immediately on his return Kurt Edwards indicated his readiness to return to the Nature Isle to assist in completing the work they have started. “It was good; very challenging as well…I’m willing to go back and give them the pull out because it has a lot of work still to do.” Edwards says he does not mind the hard work and long hours.

In outlining their experience in Dominica, Gerard Simon indicated that they worked along with both DOWASCO and other regional partners to get the job done. “We worked long side and we made things happen because working in the woods with just a bag with some water and a snack and we worked for hours…Saturday, Sunday, every day of the week”.

Simon welcomes the opportunity he was afforded to assist Dominica’s nationals.

The third of the three, Garvin Jones, was also grateful for the opportunity to be able to assist. “The place was real destroyed. It brought back memories to how Ivan was…but we did our best and the Dominicans were happy that we came to help them out.”

General Manager Christopher Husbands highlights NAWASA’s corporate social responsibility and notes that the company stands ready to send another team if a request is made. DOWASCO management indicated that the team did and exceptional job and expressed gratitude for the support. Mr. Husbands notes that as a regional utility and having gone through a similar experience following the passage of Hurricane Ivan NAWASA understands what it’s like to be thrust into that situation. “Certainly, the region as a whole has increased collaboration and support for one another because you never know when any one island can get hit, so we were happy to be able to join the effort.”

The three NAWASA employees willingly worked long hours and took pleasure in the joy of residents on having their water supply restored. According to the three, they will not trade the opportunity to come to the aid of those in need for anything. The NAWASA General Manager has indicated that he continues to be in contact with DOWASCO officials and stands ready to send another team to Dominica if a request is made.

Twenty-nine (29) years ago the Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce decided that it needed to celebrate local businesses that have excelled, persevered and continue to provide employment, excellent products and services both locally and overseas.

It developed a product that draws a wide cross section of persons at one venue to dialogue and wait with eager anticipation if in the eyes of a team of competent judges they deserve to be recognized.

This initiative is called the GCIC Annual Business Awards which focuses on achievements in different categories.

For the first time since its inception, NAWASA decided to nominate itself, and that is after repeated promises yearly after every event. Our Communications Unit nominated the Authority in two categories under established criteria:

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The successful nominee would have:

• Made investment in an area of community life not associated with its business
• Involved its employees at all levels, including management, in its community projects
• Given financial and institutional support to community development project that are demonstrably sustainable

SERVICE EXCELLENCE

The successful nominee would have:

• Demonstrated that both the internal and external customer experience is the core of its business
• A monitoring/reporting system which collects and evaluates data from both internal and external customers about their experiences with the business
• Conducted staff training in customer service within the eligibility period 
• Engaged in activities that demonstrate a commitment to improving the customer experience
• Friendly access to its facilities for people with disabilities 

NAWASA is proud to receive the GCIC Business Awards in the area of Service Excellence for 2017.

The proposal submitted to the judging panel looked at our successes in the area of Customer Care Training, our 2016 Customer Satisfaction Survey, how EPMS is shaping the direction of employee growth, the Customer Services Charter, our Health and Safety Policy, our support to the Community and how Social Media platforms have enhanced our Customer Experience.

Communications Supervisor Mrs. Jamila Samuel was on hand to collect the award with the support of General Manager Mr. Christopher Husbands, Corporate Secretary Mrs. Xiomara Forsyth, Finance Manager Mrs. Louisa Yuventi, District Supervisor Mr. Lennon Abraham and Plumber/Pipefitter Mr. Otis Celestine.

NAWASA remains blessed to have at its helm a team that is committed to excellence and service. Our team works steadfastly around the clock guiding operations and ensuring strategic planning with the overall aim of providing good governance and proper execution of our fiduciary duties. Improved operations remain at the forefront of the corporate strategy from the Board of Directors to our Management Team. NAWASA’s Internal and External customers remain the forefront of its desire to meet every need according to its Mission Statement.

Customers this achievement is for you. This is the push that we need to excel in all areas of service. Collectively, we will work harder at meeting the needs of our consumers.

HATS OFF TEAM NAWASA!!!!

It was a wonderful week of activities at the 26^th Annual Caribbean Water and Waste Water Association’s Conference and Exhibition in Guyana from October 16^th to 20^th, 2017.

The conference was held under the theme Promoting Innovation and Creativity in Water, Wastewater and Waste” and coordinated by the Communities Ministry, the Guyana Water Inc and the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association CWWA.

It brought together participants from the Caribbean, Latin America, North America and Europe and provided an opportunity for participants to exchange information and experiences, to network and to be exposed to cutting edge technology, products and services in a very dynamic event.

The Conference covered subjects such as climate change, drought management, integrated water resources management, wastewater management in rural communities, waste recycling technologies for developing countries, landfill engineering and the economics of waste management, to name a few.

Participants included experts, researchers, professionals, students, the media, private companies, development partners such as the Inter-American Development Bank (lDB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the United Nations Environment (UNEP), the Pan American, Health Organisation (PAHO), the Caribbean Desalination Association (CaribDA), the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCccq), Caricom, among others. They had an opportunity to attend technical presentations, be exposed to new research and studies and listen to eminent panellists speak on subjects of interest.

A very significant aspect of the event was the Exhibition where over 60 exhibitors are showcasing their products and services in the water and waste sectors and interacting with utility companies and other participants, EXCELLENT NETWORKING.

On Tuesday, an important aspect of the Conference was the convening of the 13th High Level Forum of Caribbean Ministers Responsible for Water (HLF13) which brought together Ministers from all Caribbean countries, water utility managers and development partners to discuss matters of relevance to the water sector.

In addition, The First High Level Forum of Ministers responsible for Waste Management was also held. Grenada was represented by Senator Norlan Cox, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and Mrs. Karen Layne, General Manager of the Grenada Solid Waste Management Authority.

A very important feature which lends a fun flavour to the conference was an opportunity for participants from all over the world to enjoy the cultural and artistic aspects of the host country of Guyana. This was evident in the Cultural and Talent Night on Tuesday.

NAWASA was represented by General Manager Mr. Christopher Husbands, Manager of Transmission and Distribution Mr. Joel Thomas, Manager of Planning and Development Mr. Whyme Cox and myself Communications Supervisor Mrs. Jamila Samuel.

Mrs. Samuel was able to share on how NAWASA continues to use public education to enhance our customer experience. Her presentation focused on the successes in the area of community engagements, migration into social media platforms and the launching of a new websites as tools that enhanced the Authority’s customer experience.

The conference theme was: “Promoting Innovation and Creativity in Water, Wastewater and Waste”.

This is the first time in its 26 years that Guyana is hosting the Conference and Exhibiti

‘25 years of committed service the nation’ was the theme under which NAWASA celebrated its 25th Anniversary.

The National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA) was born on November 25, 1990 when Parliament voted in favour of a name change from what was then Central Water Commission (CWC) as part of its new mantra to offer a more robust, reliable and dedicated service.

Twenty-five (25) years later, the Authority celebrated its Silver Jubilee Anniversary under the leadership of General Manager Mr. Christopher Husbands.

The celebration began on Sunday November 22, 2015 with a Thanksgiving Church Service at the Union Pentecostal Church St. Mark. In attendance were Minister with responsibility for Public Utilities Hon. Gregory Bowen, Parliamentary Representative for St. Mark and Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon Clarice Modeste-Curwen, Chairman of NAWASA’s Board of Directors Mr. Terrence Forrester, General Manager Mr. Christopher Husbands and members of NAWASA’s Senior Management team, employees and specially invited guests.

On Tuesday November 24th, 2015, a team from the Authority was part of a Special Programme on FLOW Community Channel 6 and an Address to the Nation by Honourable Gregory Bowen followed on Thursday November 26th, 2015. Twenty five (25) customers had their accounts credited with $25.00. In an effort to convey gratitude to the general public for the part they have played in NAWASA’s development throughout the years, a community project will be undertaken as part of the Authority’s celebrations.

The curtains came down on the week of activities on Sunday November 29th, 2015 with a Stakeholder Awards Ceremony where the Authority recognized twenty (25) stakeholders who over the years played an active role in the development of the Authority.

St. George's Grenada: NAWASA's Communications Officer Jamila Lewis was one of three persons who made presentation at the Official Handover Ceremony for the FUN FUN ONE CRAB ON THE RUN books at the Ministry of Education Conference Room on Friday February 28th, 2014.

This picture book is written by acclaimed author Mario Picayo and illustrated by Grenadian Stacey Byer. As the largest sponsor, the Communications Officer was on hand for the official handover to Ms. Ruth Rouse, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education & Human Resource Development. The books will be distributed to fifty (50) selected pre- schools during the month of March.

In making her presentation, the Communication Officer said " Early childhood is a crucial stage of life in terms of a child's physical, intellectual, emotional and social development. Educators indicate that growth of mental and physical abilities progress at an astounding rate and a very high proportion of learning takes place from birth to age six. This we see as amazing because looking at Mr. Picayo's book we notice that the target audience is for children between ages 3 to 6 years."

She further added "The use of illustration by Ms. Byer will give budding artistes a chance to explore this form of art as there are so many opportunities that can be obtained from this field. NAWASA has considered art of this nature in the delivery of messages. Our recent Bill payment illustration advertisement speaks to this. NAWASA has always been community oriented; and we see this as another opportunity to give back."

Environmental awareness is featured highly in the book which is based around water and marine life. Using a powerful quote from Nelson Mandela, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Ms. Lewis congratulated Ms. Byer for her accomplishment in the field of art and also the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development for their support to the initiative.

St. George's Grenada: The celebratory mood at the Grenada Spice Basket was palpable on Thursday February 6th, 2014 as 230 of NAWASA's employees celebrated Grenada's 40th Anniversary of Independence.

To mark the occasion, there was food, dancing and independence outfit portrayal arranged for staff participation along with a live band and DJ entertainment. Outfits were designed by the contestants themselves and the band made up of NAWASA employees.

The entire day was developed around the national colours and this year's Independence theme of "Uniting our people, restoring hope for a brighter tomorrow".

A brainchild of NAWASA's Human Resources Department, the occasion was also used to recognize employees who recently achieved certification in different fields of study. Awards were also extended to recently retired staff.

In attendance were The Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications, Works, Physical Development, Public Utilities, ICT and Community Development Honourable Alvin Dabreo, Members of NAWASA's Board, representatives of the Union that represents employees and several past General Managers of the organization.

NAWASA extends hearty thank you to entire staff without whom the event would not be the success it was. The day was truly about uniting our people, restoring hope for a brighter tomorrow.

NAWASA placed a smile on the faces of 35 well deserving customers, as it continued its Christmas Food Hamper Distribution Programme for 2013, the ninth year running for the Authority.

From December 23rd to 27th, 2013, NAWASA distributed food items along with toiletries and of course the Christmas ham to the needy.

From November 18th to 29th, 2013, persons used Social Media and the Authority's Cash Offices, to fill out submission forms stating the name of a beneficiary and all the reasons they are deserving of a food hamper from NAWASA.

For the first time in the history of the promotion, members of the General Public assisted NAWASA in the selection of beneficiaries.

A whopping 62 entries!!! That's the total number of posters received by the National Water and Sewerage Authority for its 2013 World Water Day Poster Competition.

Using the day's theme of Water Cooperation, students between the ages of 9 – 15 submitted numerous pieces on the theme in relation to the community, economic benefits and preserving water resources and protecting the environment.

Employee Kelvin Otis Celestine receives cheque valued at $750.00 from Administrative Assistant, Finance Department, NAWASA, Ms. Lisa Beggs for Spice Mas 2013.

Kelvin is into the finals of both the Groovy and Soca Monarch competition carded for the Grenada National Stadium on Friday August 9th, 2013.

The team at NAWASA wishes you well this year Kelvin!

Twenty five (25) persons representing various business institutions received their certificates following successful completion of a ten day training course in the area of Project Cycle Management on July 24th, 2013.

The hands – on – course organized by NAWASA was held at the Conference Room of the Grenada Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) over ten days from June 3rd to July 24th 2013.