Commitments and contingencies	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Commitments and contingencies
Commitments and contingencies	8. Commitments and contingencies Cayman Water The Company sells water through its Cayman Water 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 has not been 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, 2024 and 2023, the Company generated approximately 23% and 14%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 34% and 23%, respectively, of its consolidated gross profit from the retail water operations conducted under the 1990 license. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company generated approximately 23% and 18%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 36% and 29%, 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 of 7.5% of the revenue that Cayman Water collects as 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 CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable balances (which include accrued interest) due from the WSC amounted to $25.1 million and $26.9 million as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Approximately 77% and 80% of the accounts receivable balances were delinquent as of those dates, respectively. From time to time (including presently), 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 not provided a material allowance for credit losses for its accounts receivable from the WSC as of September 30, 2024. CW-Bahamas held discussions with the WSC in March 2024 and with representatives of The Bahamas Government in April 2024 during which CW-Bahamas was informed that the Government intends to substantially reduce CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable from the WSC before the end of 2024. In a report dated October 6, 2022, Moody’s Investor Services (“Moody’s”) downgraded 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 Baa3. Moody’s has maintained these ratings through the date of its most current report issued in October 2024. If CW-Bahamas is unable to collect a sufficient portion of its delinquent accounts receivable, one or more of the following events may occur: (i) CW-Bahamas may not have sufficient liquidity to meet its obligations; (ii) the Company may be required to cease the recognition of revenue on CW-Bahamas’ water supply agreements with the WSC; and (iii) the Company may be required to provide an additional allowance for credit losses for CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable. Any of these events could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. CW-Bahamas Performance Guarantees The contracts to supply water to the WSC from the Blue Hills and Windsor plants require CW-Bahamas to guarantee delivery of a minimum quantity of water per week. If the WSC requires the water and CW-Bahamas does not meet this minimum, CW-Bahamas is required to pay the WSC for the difference between the minimum and actual gallons delivered at a per gallon rate equal to the price per gallon that the WSC is currently paying CW-Bahamas under the contract. The Blue Hills contract expires in 2032 and requires CW-Bahamas to deliver 63.0 million gallons of water each week. The Windsor contract expires in 2033 and requires CW-Bahamas to deliver 16.8 million gallons of water each week. CW-Bahamas has been in compliance with the performance guarantees under these contracts for all periods since the inception of the contracts.

Commitments and contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

8. Commitments and contingencies

Cayman Water

The Company sells water through its Cayman Water 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 has not been 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, 2024 and 2023, the Company generated approximately 23% and 14%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 34% and 23%, respectively, of its consolidated gross profit from the retail water operations conducted under the 1990 license. For the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company generated approximately 23% and 18%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 36% and 29%, 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 of 7.5% of the revenue that Cayman Water collects as 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

CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable balances (which include accrued interest) due from the WSC amounted to $25.1 million and $26.9 million as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Approximately 77% and 80% of the accounts receivable balances were delinquent as of those dates, respectively.

From time to time (including presently), 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 not provided a material allowance for credit losses for its accounts receivable from the WSC as of September 30, 2024.

CW-Bahamas held discussions with the WSC in March 2024 and with representatives of The Bahamas Government in April 2024 during which CW-Bahamas was informed that the Government intends to substantially reduce CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable from the WSC before the end of 2024.

In a report dated October 6, 2022, Moody’s Investor Services (“Moody’s”) downgraded 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 Baa3. Moody’s has maintained these ratings through the date of its most current report issued in October 2024.

If CW-Bahamas is unable to collect a sufficient portion of its delinquent accounts receivable, one or more of the following events may occur: (i) CW-Bahamas may not have sufficient liquidity to meet its obligations; (ii) the Company may be required to cease the recognition of revenue on CW-Bahamas’ water supply agreements with the WSC; and (iii) the Company may be required to provide an additional allowance for credit losses for CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable. Any of these events could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

CW-Bahamas Performance Guarantees

The contracts to supply water to the WSC from the Blue Hills and Windsor plants require CW-Bahamas to guarantee delivery of a minimum quantity of water per week. If the WSC requires the water and CW-Bahamas does not meet this minimum, CW-Bahamas is required to pay the WSC for the difference between the minimum and actual gallons delivered at a per gallon rate equal to the price per gallon that the WSC is currently paying CW-Bahamas under the contract. The Blue Hills contract expires in 2032 and requires CW-Bahamas to deliver 63.0 million gallons of water each week. The Windsor contract expires in 2033 and requires CW-Bahamas to deliver 16.8 million gallons of water each week. CW-Bahamas has been in compliance with the performance guarantees under these contracts for all periods since the inception of the contracts.