Acting CEO: WASA on a mission to become efficient, responsive

ACTING Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) CEO Jeevan Joseph says the company is on a mission to become more efficient and responsive to its customers.

He spoke at WASA’s 60th anniversary customer appreciation celebration at the company’s compound, Lowlands, Tobago, on August 20.

The theme of WASA’s diamond jubilee is Evolution In Action: Forging A Smarter, Sustainable and Equitable Future, Honouring 60 years, Redefining the Way Forward.

Joseph said since its inception in September 1965, WASA’s mandate was to deliver safe, reliable water and wastewater services to the people of TT.

He added, while the promise remains, the world has changed.

"The WASA of 2025 is not the WASA of 1965. Over the years, we have grown in scale, faced challenges and celebrated triumphs but what defines us now is our resolve to evolve," Joseph said.

He said the company is modernising its infrastructure, leveraging technology and re-engineering processes to become more efficient, responsive and accountable.

"Moving forward, WASA is prioritising agile engagement, listening more closely, acting more swiftly and tailoring solutions to meet unique needs of communities across TT."

Joseph told the audience that the authority’s initiatives going forward will be carried out with them in mind.

"Your voice guides us. Whether through improved response times, clearer communication or customer communication initiatives, we are putting you at the centre of every decision."

He said true legacies are never created in a single moment but through the steady accumulation of purposeful action, unwavering integrity and an unyielding drive towards improvement.

"As WASA reshapes and redefines the way forward, we pledge to turn this philosophy into tangible progress by pouring the required resources and resilient infrastructure that will safeguard our water and wastewater resources for generations to come."

Joseph said the authority will be equipping its teams with cutting-edge training and technology to elevate its service delivery to world-class standards.

"Most importantly, we are rebuilding trust, drip by drip, through open transparency and concrete measurable results that prove our commitment to excellence.

"This is how institutions earn their place in history and this is the path WASA is determined to follow."

Deputising for THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, assistant secretary, Division of Settlements, Public Utilities and Rural Development Orlando Kerr said the ceremony was a testament to WASA’s successes over the past 60 years.

He said people could live without many things, but they cannot live without water.

"Water is something that is needed for the sustenance of life. And therefore, it underscores the importance of having potable water to every single household in the Republic of TT but more so, in Tobago," he said.

Kerr commended the authority for what he considered to be the tremendous work they have been doing over the years.

“Many times, we hear of people complaining when they do not have a supply but we know that the challenges for WASA to provide that water to so many of us is very difficult, given the aging infrastructure, sometimes the less than adequate resources. But I know that they continue to work around the clock."

He also praised Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities Clyde Elder and WASA’s officials for meeting with the THA to strategise and forge a way forward in terms of transforming water delivery on the island.

"As the person in the THA with direct responsibility for public utilities, I am indeed very heartened by the discussions that we had and I know that the discussions will not only be talk shops but we have really forged viable ways of getting Tobago closer to water 24/7," he said.