The Digital Journey of Water and Sanitation Utilities in the Caribbean: Current State and Opportunities

Digital transformation in water utilities can provide numerous benefits for the utilities themselves and the customers they serve. There are many factors that impact an organizations ability to implement digital strategies, such as access to infrastructure and capital, cultural expectations, awareness of new and innovative technologies, and technical skills. The research identified two pressing challenges: access to financial capital and access to skilled labor. It also revealed opportunities to focus on improving sensing systems for water assets, the speed of internal information communication, closing the Knowing-Doing gap, and using digital technologies to improve customer education with regard to water and wastewater issues. The paper also provides potential creative investment approaches for Caribbean utilities. These include new ways to engage with development banks, private microproject funds, and public-private partnerships to improve operational efficiency and revenue generation for utilities in the region. The target audience is anyone interested in the Caribbean utility sector, with a particular focus on stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem.