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Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Contingencies  
Contingencies

8. Contingencies

COVID-19

The worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was formally recognized by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. In response to this pandemic, the governments of the countries in which the Company operates - the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, and the United States - implemented preventative measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, measures which had profound adverse consequences for the economies of those countries. Tourism, a major economic

driver for the Cayman Islands, temporarily ceased due to closing of the country to tourist arrivals by air and sea travel and has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Tourist arrivals to The Bahamas by air and sea also declined significantly due to the pandemic. Overall economic activity in the United States was adversely affected by COVID-19.

As a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economies of the countries in which the Company operates, the Company experienced decreases in consolidated revenue, net income and cash flows from operations as compared to pre-pandemic periods. The economic downturn arising initially from the COVID-19 pandemic and furthered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other factors has further adversely affected the Company’s supply chain and the markets for the Company’s products and services. A continuation of the current weak economic conditions could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Cayman Water

The Company sells water through its retail operations under a license issued in July 1990 by the Cayman Islands government (the “1990 license”) that granted Cayman Water the exclusive right to provide potable water to customers within its licensed service area. Although the 1990 license was not expressly extended after January 2018, the Company continues to supply water under the terms of the 1990 license, as further discussed in the following paragraph. Pursuant to the 1990 license, Cayman Water has the exclusive right to produce potable water and distribute it by pipeline to its licensed service area, which consists of two of the three most populated areas of Grand Cayman Island: Seven Mile Beach and West Bay. For the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company generated approximately 25% and 32%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 44% and 44%, respectively, of its consolidated gross profit from the retail water operations conducted under the 1990 license. For the nine months ended September 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company generated approximately 29% and 33%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 45% and 47%, respectively, of its consolidated gross profit from the retail water operations conducted under the 1990 license.

The 1990 license was originally scheduled to expire in July 2010 but was extended several times by the Cayman Islands government in order to provide the parties with additional time to negotiate the terms of a new license agreement. The most recent express extension of the 1990 license expired on January 31, 2018. The Company continues to operate under the terms of the 1990 license, providing water services to the level and quality specified in the 1990 license and in accordance with its understanding of its legal obligations, treating those obligations set forth in the 1990 license as operative notwithstanding the expiration of the express extension. The Company continues to pay the royalty required under the 1990 license.

In October 2016, the Government of the Cayman Islands passed legislation which created a new utilities regulation and competition office (“OfReg”). OfReg is an independent and accountable regulatory body with a view of protecting the rights of consumers, encouraging affordable utility services and promoting competition. OfReg, which began operations in January 2017, has the ability to supervise, monitor and regulate multiple utility undertakings and markets. Supplemental legislation was passed by the Government of the Cayman Islands in April 2017, which transferred responsibility for the economic regulation of the water utility sector and the negotiations with the Company for a new retail license from the WAC to OfReg in May 2017. The Company began license negotiations with OfReg in July 2017 and such negotiations are ongoing. The Company has been informed during its retail license negotiations, both by OfReg and its predecessor in these negotiations, that the Cayman Islands government seeks to restructure the terms of its license in a manner that could significantly reduce the operating income and cash flows the Company has historically generated from its retail license.

The Company is presently unable to determine what impact the resolution of its retail license negotiations will have on its consolidated financial condition or results of operations but such resolution could result in a material reduction (or the loss) of the operating income and cash flows the Company has historically generated from Cayman Water’s retail operations and could require the Company to record impairment losses to reduce the carrying values of its retail segment assets. Such impairment losses could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations.

CW-Bahamas

As December 31, 2021, CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable balances (which include accrued interest) due from the Water and Sewerage Corporation of The Bahamas (“WSC”) amounted to $21.5 million.

From time to time, CW-Bahamas has experienced delays in collecting its accounts receivable from the WSC. When these delays occur, the Company holds discussions and meetings with representatives of the WSC and The Bahamas government, and as a result, payment schedules are developed for WSC’s delinquent accounts receivable. All previous delinquent accounts receivable from the WSC, including accrued interest thereon, were eventually paid in full. Based upon this payment history, CW-Bahamas has never been required to provide an allowance for doubtful accounts for any of its accounts receivable, despite the periodic accumulation of significant delinquent balances.

In February 2022, CW-Bahamas received correspondence from the Ministry of Finance of the Government of the Bahamas that set forth a payment schedule providing for the gradual reduction over the course of 2022 of the CW-Bahamas' delinquent accounts receivable due from the WSC. Such correspondence also indicated that the Government intends to return all of CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable from the WSC to current status.

As of September 30, 2022, CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable from the WSC amounted to $15.2 million.

In its latest report dated October 6, 2022, Moody’s Investor Services (“Moody’s) downgraded the Government of The Bahamas’ long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to B1 from Ba3. Moody’s also lowered The Bahamas’ local currency ceiling to Baa3 from Baa2 and its foreign currency ceiling to Ba1 from Baa. Based upon its review of this Moody’s report, the Company continues to believe no allowance for doubtful accounts is required for CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable from the WSC.