BWA chief to lead Trinidad’s water and sewage utility

Keithroy Halliday, the current acting Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), will take over as Chief Executive Officer of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) in Trinidad and Tobago from November 1.

Halliday confirmed the move to Barbados TODAY on Friday, just a day after informing BWA staff of his resignation following seven years in the role. Although his memo did not specify when he would leave or where he was headed, he reassured staff that he would provide support to ensure a smooth transition over the coming months.

He revealed details of his new role, in which he will lead a restructured nine-member leadership team at WASA.

WASA Chairman Ravi Nanga welcomed Halliday’s appointment, commending his proven record of success and “his mix of knowledge and experience”, which Nanga said would bring “inspirational leadership” to the ongoing transformation of the authority.

“We are eager for his arrival and the installation of the rest of the leadership team, and we are looking forward to working together as we move WASA to be the utility of the future,” Nanga said.

During his tenure at the BWA, Halliday advanced the BWA’s financial position, maintaining it as a zero-budget entity for the past four years. Under his leadership, the BWA has covered all its operational expenses without external funding, except for significant capital projects deemed national priorities.

He is also credited with steering the BWA through a national crisis when the sewage collection system failed along a major road artery, posing public health risks and affecting businesses and tourism. His leadership helped secure significant grant funding from the Green Climate Fund through the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, aimed at bolstering the organisation’s climate resilience and mitigation efforts.

Halliday, who first became BWA’s general manager in February 2017, described his departure as a “difficult” decision, noting that his time at the authority had been “rewarding.”

“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,” Halliday said in his memo to staff. “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.”

He expressed confidence in the future of the BWA, which he said was on “the cusp of a welcomed transformation phase,” and encouraged staff to continue supporting the authority’s efforts to become “a utility of the future.”

Halliday, a certified sustainable development professional, has also been instrumental in improving water resource management on the island, implementing a massive programme to reduce non-revenue water leakage through the replacement of ageing mains. He also enhanced customer engagement, particularly in relation to account management and repayment plans for those in arrears.

Before his time at the BWA, Halliday spent a decade in Trinidad and Tobago as a general manager in the telecommunications retail industry. He is currently a doctoral student at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business in Trinidad, where his focus is on Intelligent Water Systems. He holds an MBA and postgraduate qualifications from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, and has served as a Research Associate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida since 2018. 

(EJ)