Barbados Water Authority Chief Executive Keithroy Halliday Resigns After Seven Years: A Look Back and Ahead

Seven years after taking up the top post at the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), acting chief executive officer Keithroy Halliday announced he would be leaving the company.

In a memo to staff, Halliday said he made the “difficult decision to resign” from the BWA after “considerable reflection” to “pursue a new opportunity” that aligned with his personal and professional goals.

He did not indicate when the final day would be, but was appointed general manager of the BWA on February 15, 2017. The St Kitts-born citizen of Barbados, attended Harrison College and spent 11 years in banking. He was working in Trinidad and Tobago when he decided to take up the post at the BWA.

“I wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to each member of the Authority for what I regard as your unwavering dedication, relentless effort, and support throughout my time with the Authority. It has been an immense privilege, and I feel honoured that we have been able to accomplish notable and distinct progress in the past eight years,” Halliday said.

“I further note that the Authority is now on the cusp of a welcomed transformation phase, and given your individual and collective capabilities, I know that you will engage and support the efforts of the Authority to become a utility of the future.”

Halliday said he would work with the various stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition over the coming months.

He jumped right into the management of the South Coast Sewage Plant crisis, a litany of water woes across the country and a statutory corporation that was not running at optimum levels.

Halliday often spoke of changing the way the BWA operated.

“When we look at operational revenue, the model is simply not sustainable. We are not generating enough money to cover our expenses,” he noted.

“Because of the cost of water, many people, when they are paying bills, opt to pay water last, when compared to the other utilities. And the one thing you really can’t do without is water. We need to change the thinking about that.

“Whether it is five cents or $5 or $500 you are paying, the Barbados Water Authority needs those resources to be able to provide good quality, potable water.”

Halliday oversaw a major mains replacement programme, the water tank programme and major upgrades to the distribution network via the water mains project. Government introduced the controversial Garbage and Sewage Contribution (GSC) on August 1, 2018. (PR/SAT)