Consolidated Water Co Ltd
For the period ended Mar 31, 2024. Filed May 15, 2024.
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Mar 31, 2024 · Filed May 15, 2024
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Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
- Principal activity
Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) supply potable water, treat wastewater and water for reuse, and provide water-related products and services to customers in the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, the United States and the British Virgin Islands. The Company produces potable water from seawater using reverse osmosis technology and sells this water to a variety of customers, including public utilities, commercial and tourist properties, residential properties and government facilities. The Company designs, constructs and sells water production and water treatment infrastructure and manages water infrastructure for commercial and governmental customers. The Company also manufactures a wide range of specialized and custom water industry related products and provides design, engineering, operating and other services applicable to commercial, municipal and industrial water production, supply and treatment.
- Accounting policies
Basis of consolidation: The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company’s (i) wholly-owned subsidiaries, Aerex Industries, Inc. (“Aerex”), Aquilex, Inc. (“Aquilex”), Cayman Water Company Limited (“Cayman Water”), Consolidated Water Cooperatief, U.A. (“CW-Cooperatief”), Consolidated Water U.S. Holdings, Inc. (“CW-Holdings”), DesalCo Limited (“DesalCo”), Kalaeloa Desalco LLC (“Kalaeloa Desalco”), Ocean Conversion (Cayman) Limited (“OC-Cayman”), PERC Water Corporation ("PERC") and Ramey Environmental Compliance, Inc. (“REC”); and (ii) majority-owned subsidiaries Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd. (“CW-Bahamas”), N.S.C. Agua, S.A. de C.V. (“NSC”), and Aguas de Rosarito S.A.P.I. de C.V. (“AdR”). The Company’s investment in its affiliate Ocean Conversion (BVI) Ltd. (“OC-BVI”) is accounted for using the equity method of accounting. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
In January 2023, as a result of CW-Holdings' exercise of a call option in October 2022, CW-Holdings purchased the remaining 39% ownership interest in PERC for$2.4 million in cash, and 368,383 shares of the Company’s common stock having a value of approximately$5.36 million based upon the opening trading price of the Company’s common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market on the date of the transaction. After giving effect to this purchase, CW-Holdings owns 100% of the outstanding capital stock of PERC.
In September 2021, Kalaeloa Desalco was formed to pursue a project in Oahu, Hawaii. On June 2, 2023, Kalaeloa Desalco signed a definitive agreement with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply to design, construct, operate and maintain a 1.7 million gallons per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant in Oahu, Hawaii.
Effective October 1, 2023, the Company purchased, through its wholly-owned subsidiary PERC, a 100% ownership interest in REC, a Colorado company that operates and maintains water and wastewater treatment facilities and provides technical services to clients throughout the Rocky Mountain and Eastern Plains Regions of Colorado. PERC acquired REC for approximately $4.1 million and recorded goodwill and intangible assets from this acquisition of $2,436,391 and $1,108,390 respectively.
The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited. These condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (which are of a normal recurring nature) that, in the opinion of management, are necessary to fairly present the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the periods presented. The consolidated results of operations for these interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for future periods, including the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes are presented in accordance with the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) relating to interim financial statements and in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”). Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP have been
condensed or omitted in these condensed consolidated financial statements pursuant to SEC rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures made herein are adequate to make the information not misleading. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
**Foreign currency:**The Company’s reporting currency is the United States dollar (“US$”). The functional currency of the Company and its foreign operating subsidiaries (other than NSC, AdR, and CW-Cooperatief) is the currency for each respective country. The functional currency for NSC, AdR, and CW-Cooperatief is the US$. NSC and AdR conduct business in US$ and Mexican pesos and CW-Cooperatief conducts business in US$ and euros. The exchange rates for the Cayman Islands dollar and the Bahamian dollar are fixed to the US$. The exchange rates for conversion of Mexican pesos and euros into US$ vary based upon market conditions.
Net foreign currency gains arising from transactions and re-measurements were $24,197 and $25,779 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and are included in “Other income (expense) - Other” in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.
Cash and cash equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents consist of demand deposits at banks and certificates of deposit at banks with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 include approximately $5.2 million and $5.1 million, respectively, of certificates of deposits with an original maturity of three months or less.
Certain transfers from the Company’s Bahamas bank accounts to Company bank accounts in other countries require the approval of the Central Bank of The Bahamas. The equivalent United States dollar cash balances held in The Bahamas as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were approximately $6.9 million and $3.0 million, respectively.
Goodwill and intangible assets: Goodwill represents the excess cost of an acquired business over the fair value of the assets and liabilities of the acquired business as of the date of acquisition. Goodwill and intangible assets recorded as a result of a business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized but are tested for impairment annually or upon the identification of a triggering event. Intangible assets with estimable useful lives are amortized over their respective estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values and reviewed periodically for impairment. The Company evaluates the possible impairment of goodwill annually as part of its reporting process for the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. Management identifies the Company’s reporting units for goodwill impairment testing purposes, which consist of Cayman Water, the bulk segment (which is comprised of CW-Bahamas and OC-Cayman), PERC, REC, and the manufacturing segment (i.e., Aerex), and determines the carrying value of each reporting unit by assigning the assets and liabilities, including the existing goodwill and intangible assets, to those reporting units. The Company determines the fair value of each reporting unit and compares these fair values to the carrying amounts of the reporting units. To the extent the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, an impairment loss is recorded.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company elected to assess qualitative factors to determine whether it was necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment testing that was conducted in prior years for the reporting units. The Company assessed the relevant events and circumstances to evaluate whether it is more likely than not that the fair values of such reporting units were less than their carrying values. The events and circumstances assessed for each reporting unit included macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, overall financial performance, and other relevant events. Based upon this qualitative assessment, the Company determined that it is more likely than not that the fair values of its reporting units exceeded their carrying values as of December 31, 2023.
Income taxes: The Company accounts for the income taxes arising from the operations of its United States subsidiaries under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities, if any, are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized
in income in the period that includes the enactment date. A valuation allowance is provided to the extent any deferred tax asset may not be realized.
The Company is not presently subject to income taxes in the other countries in which it operates.
Revenue recognition: Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the Company’s customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.
The following table presents the Company’s revenue disaggregated by revenue source.
| · · · · · · · | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||
| · 2024 · 2023 | |||||
| Retail revenue | | $8,624,938 | | $7,771,095 | |
| Bulk revenue | | 8,342,094 | | 9,004,373 | |
| Services revenue | | 17,417,611 | | 12,721,701 | |
| Manufacturing revenue | | 5,304,747 | | 3,371,821 | |
| Total revenue | | $39,689,390 | | $32,868,990 | |
Services revenue consists of the following:
| · · · · · · · | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||
| · 2024 · 2023 | |||||
| Construction revenue | | $9,203,662 | | $8,693,516 | |
| Operations and maintenance revenue | | 7,099,354 | | 3,685,805 | |
| Design and consulting revenue | | 1,114,595 | | 342,380 | |
| Total services revenue | | $17,417,611 | | $12,721,701 | |
Retail revenue
The Company produces and supplies water to end-users, including residential, commercial and governmental customers in the Cayman Islands under an exclusive retail license issued to Cayman Water by the Cayman Islands government to provide water in two of the three most populated areas on Grand Cayman. Customers are billed on a monthly basis based on metered consumption and bills are typically collected within 30 to 45 days after the billing date. Receivables not collected within 45 days subject the customer to disconnection from water service.
The Company recognizes revenue from water sales at the time water is supplied to the customer’s premises. The amount of water supplied is determined and invoiced based upon water meter readings performed at the end of each month. All retail water contracts are month-to-month contracts. The Company has elected the “right to invoice” practical expedient for revenue recognition on its retail water sale contracts and recognizes revenue in the amount to which the Company has a right to invoice, recognizing this revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers at a point in time.
Bulk revenue
The Company produces and supplies water to government-owned utilities in the Cayman Islands and The Bahamas.
OC-Cayman provides bulk water to the Water Authority-Cayman (“WAC”), a government-owned utility and regulatory agency, under two agreements. The WAC in turn distributes such water to properties in Grand Cayman outside of Cayman Water’s retail license area.
The Company sells bulk water in The Bahamas through its majority-owned subsidiary, CW-Bahamas, under two agreements with the Water and Sewerage Corporation of The Bahamas (“WSC”), which distributes such water through its own pipeline system to residential, commercial and tourist properties on the island of New Providence.
The Company has elected the “right to invoice” practical expedient for revenue recognition on its bulk water sale contracts and recognizes revenue in the amount to which the Company has a right to invoice, recognizing this revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers at a point in time.
Services and Manufacturing revenue
The Company designs, constructs, sells, operates and maintains, and provides consulting services related to water, wastewater and water reuse infrastructure through PERC. All of PERC's customers are companies or governmental entities located in the United States. Effective October 2023, PERC acquired REC, a company that provides operations and maintenance and consulting services to companies and governmental entities located in the state of Colorado.
The Company also provides design, engineering, management, procurement and construction services for desalination infrastructure through DesalCo, which serves customers in the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands.
The Company, through Aerex, is a custom and specialty manufacturer of systems and products applicable to commercial, municipal and industrial water production and treatment. Substantially all of Aerex’s customers are U.S. companies.
The Company generates construction, operations and maintenance, design and consulting revenue from PERC and DesalCo and generates manufacturing revenue from Aerex. The Company also generates operations and maintenance and consulting revenue from REC.
The Company recognizes revenue for its construction and custom/specialized manufacturing contracts over time under the input method using costs incurred (which represents work performed) to date relative to the total estimated costs at completion to measure progress toward satisfying a contract’s performance obligations as such measure best reflects the transfer of control of the promised good to the customer. Contract costs include labor, materials, subcontractor costs and other expenses. The Company follows this method since it can make reasonably dependable estimates of the revenue and costs applicable to the various stages of a contract. Under this input method, the Company records revenue and recognizes profit or loss as work on the contract progresses. The Company estimates total costs to be incurred and profit to be earned on each long-term, fixed price contract prior to commencement of work on the contract and updates these estimates as work on the contract progresses. The cumulative amount of revenue recorded on a contract at a specified point in time is that percentage of total estimated revenue that incurred costs to date comprise of estimated total contract costs. Due to the extended time it may take to complete many of the Company’s contracts and the scope and nature of the work required to be performed on those contracts, the estimations of total revenue and costs at completion are complicated and subject to many variables and, accordingly, are subject to changes. When adjustments in estimated total contract revenue or estimated total contract costs are required, any changes from prior estimates are recognized in the current period for the inception-to-date effect of such changes. The Company recognizes the full amount of any estimated loss on a contract at the time the estimates indicate such a loss. Any contract assets are classified as current assets. Contract liabilities on uncompleted contracts, if any, are classified as current liabilities.
The Company has elected the “right to invoice” practical expedient for revenue recognition on its operations and maintenance, design and consulting contracts and recognizes revenue in the amount to which the Company has a right to invoice, recognizing this revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers at a point in time.
For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized $9,397,093 and $8,588,584, respectively, of its services revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers over time. The remaining services revenue of $8,020,518 and $4,133,117, respectively, was recognized from the transfer of goods or services to customers at a point in time. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized all of its manufacturing revenue from the transfer of goods or services to customers over time.
Revenue recognized and amounts billed on contracts in progress are summarized as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · March 31, · · December 31, · | |||||||
| · · 2024 · · 2023 · | |||||||
| Revenue recognized to date on contracts in progress | $122,712,011 | | $108,952,682 | | |||
| Amounts billed to date on contracts in progress | | (113,622,422) | | (101,724,459) | | ||
| Retainage | | | 8,791,564 | | | 8,087,823 | |
| Net contract asset | | $17,881,153 | | $15,316,046 | | ||
The above net balances are reflected in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as follows:
| · · · · · · · | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | March 31, | | December 31, | |
| | | 2024 | | 2023 | |
| Contract assets | $23,340,495 | $21,553,057 | | ||
| Contract liabilities | | (5,459,342) | | (6,237,011) | |
| Net contract asset | | $17,881,153 | | $15,316,046 | |
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts in progress representing approximately$152.3 million in aggregate transaction price for contracts with an original expected length of greater thanone year. The Company expects to earn revenue as it satisfies its performance obligations under those contracts in the amount of approximately$15.0 million during theremainder of the year ending December 31, 2024 and approximately$137.3 million thereafter. In addition, the Company recognized revenue of approximately$2.8 million in the three months ended March 31, 2024, that was included in the contract liability balance as of December 31, 2023.
Practical Expedients and Exemptions
The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and (ii) contracts for which the Company recognizes revenue at the amount to which it has the right to invoice for services performed.
Comparative amounts: Certain amounts presented in the financial statements previously issued for 2023 have been reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation.
- Segment information
The Company hasfour reportable segments: retail, bulk, services and manufacturing. The retail segment operates the water utility for the Seven Mile Beach and West Bay areas of Grand Cayman pursuant to an exclusive license granted by the Cayman Islands government. The bulk segment supplies potable water to government utilities in Grand Cayman and The Bahamas under long-term contracts. The services segment designs, constructs and sells water infrastructure and provides management and operating services to third parties. The manufacturing segment manufactures and services a wide range of custom and specialized water-related products applicable to commercial, municipal and industrial water production, supply and treatment. Consistent with prior periods, the Company records all non-direct general and administrative expenses in its retail segment and does not allocate any of these non-direct expenses to its other three business segments.
The accounting policies of the segments are consistent with those described in Note 2. The Company evaluates each segment’s performance based upon its income (or loss) from operations. All intercompany transactions are eliminated for segment presentation purposes.
The Company’s segments are strategic business units that are managed separately because each segment sells different products and/or services, serves customers with distinctly different needs and generates different gross profit margins.
| · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 | |||||||||
| · Retail · Bulk · Services · Manufacturing · Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | | $8,624,938 | | $8,342,094 | | $17,417,611 | | $5,304,747 | $39,689,390 | |
| Cost of revenue | | 3,551,344 | | 5,565,258 | | 12,668,939 | | 4,025,826 | | 25,811,367 |
| Gross profit | | 5,073,594 | | 2,776,836 | | 4,748,672 | | 1,278,921 | | 13,878,023 |
| General and administrative expenses | | 4,104,332 | | 344,141 | | 1,597,854 | | 517,702 | | 6,564,029 |
| Income from operations | | $969,262 | | $2,432,695 | | $3,150,818 | | $761,219 | | 7,313,994 |
| Other income, net | | | | | | | 418,184 | |||
| Income before income taxes | | | | | | 7,732,178 | ||||
| Provision for income taxes | | | | | | 621,696 | ||||
| Net income from continuing operations | | | | | | 7,110,482 | ||||
| Income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests | | | | | | 169,068 | ||||
| Net income from continuing operations attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders | | | | | | 6,941,414 | ||||
| Net loss from discontinued operations | | | | | | (467,066) | ||||
| Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders | | | | | | $6,474,348 | ||||
Depreciation and amortization expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 for the retail, bulk, services and manufacturing segments were $640,470, $716,328, $251,752 and $66,149, respectively.
| · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 | |||||||||
| · Retail · Bulk · Services · Manufacturing · Total | ||||||||||
| Revenue | | $7,771,095 | | $9,004,373 | | $12,721,701 | | $3,371,821 | | $32,868,990 |
| Cost of revenue | | 3,550,794 | | 6,243,146 | | 10,044,078 | | 2,471,890 | | 22,309,908 |
| Gross profit | | 4,220,301 | | 2,761,227 | | 2,677,623 | | 899,931 | | 10,559,082 |
| General and administrative expenses | | 4,177,107 | | 352,975 | | 1,088,672 | | 417,908 | | 6,036,662 |
| Gain (loss) on asset dispositions and impairments, net | | (7,287) | | 11,270 | | — | | 1,933 | | 5,916 |
| Income from operations | | $35,907 | | $2,419,522 | | $1,588,951 | | $483,956 | | 4,528,336 |
| Other income, net | | | | | | 157,059 | ||||
| Income before income taxes | | | | | | 4,685,395 | ||||
| Provision for income taxes | | | | | | 449,485 | ||||
| Net income from continuing operations | | | | | | 4,235,910 | ||||
| Income attributable to non-controlling interests | | | | | | 163,121 | ||||
| Net income from continuing operations attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders | | | | | | 4,072,789 | ||||
| Net loss from discontinued operations | | | | | | (259,163) | ||||
| Net income attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders | | | | | | $3,813,626 | ||||
Depreciation and amortization expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 for the retail, bulk, services and manufacturing segments were $626,637, $728,129, $171,349 and $67,963, respectively.
| · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | As of March 31, 2024 | |||||||||||||
| · Retail · Bulk · Services · Manufacturing · Total | ||||||||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | | $3,772,393 | | $25,652,487 | | $9,071,028 | | $3,268,348 | | $41,764,256 | ||||
| Inventory, current and non-current | | $3,076,106 | | $4,885,944 | | $— | | $1,224,569 | | $9,186,619 | ||||
| Contract assets | | $— | | $— | | $17,995,584 | | $5,344,911 | | $23,340,495 | ||||
| Property, plant and equipment, net | | $32,429,299 | | $19,686,717 | | $1,047,825 | | $1,684,907 | | $54,848,748 | ||||
| Construction in progress | | $659,798 | | $12,661 | | $— | | $146,961 | | $819,420 | ||||
| Intangibles, net | | $— | | $— | | $2,551,314 | | $637,778 | | $3,189,092 | ||||
| Goodwill | | $1,170,511 | | $1,948,875 | | $7,756,807 | | $1,985,211 | | $12,861,404 | ||||
| Total segment assets | | $58,080,386 | | $66,445,312 | | $60,231,126 | | $16,740,204 | | $201,497,028 | ||||
| Assets of discontinued operations | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $21,669,155 |
| Total assets | | | | | | | | | | | | | | $223,166,183 |
| · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | As of December 31, 2023 | |||||||||
| · Retail · Bulk · Services · Manufacturing · Total | ||||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | | $3,425,948 | | $26,965,126 | | $6,802,780 | | $1,033,037 | | $38,226,891 |
| Inventory, current and non-current | | $3,041,460 | | $4,858,324 | | $55,272 | | $3,135,357 | | $11,090,413 |
| Contract assets | | $— | | $— | | $17,715,872 | | $3,837,185 | | $21,553,057 |
| Property, plant and equipment, net | | $32,809,487 | | $20,370,056 | | $1,143,884 | | $1,559,094 | | $55,882,521 |
| Construction in progress | | $380,436 | | $— | | $— | | $115,035 | | $495,471 |
| Intangibles, net | | $— | | $— | | $2,692,074 | | $661,111 | | $3,353,185 |
| Goodwill | | $1,170,511 | | $1,948,875 | | $7,756,807 | | $1,985,211 | | $12,861,404 |
| Total segment assets | | $58,774,647 | | $63,956,725 | | $58,476,773 | | $15,888,642 | | $197,096,787 |
| Assets of discontinued operations | | | | | | | | | | $21,340,805 |
| Total assets | | | | | | | | | | $218,437,592 |
- Earnings per share
Earnings per share (“EPS”) is computed on a basic and diluted basis. Basic EPS is computed by dividing net income (less preferred stock dividends) available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. The computation of diluted EPS assumes the issuance of common shares for all potential common shares outstanding during the reporting period and, if dilutive, the effect of stock options as computed under the treasury stock method.
The following summarizes information related to the computation of basic and diluted EPS:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||
| · 2024 · 2023 | ||||||
| Net income from continuing operations attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. stockholders | | $6,941,414 | | $4,072,789 | ||
| Less: preferred stock dividends | | (4,182) | | (2,923) | ||
| Net income from continuing operations available to common shares in the determination of basic earnings per common share | | 6,937,232 | | 4,069,866 | ||
| Loss from discontinued operations | | (467,066) | | (259,163) | ||
| Net income available to common shares in the determination of basic earnings per common share | | $6,470,166 | | $3,810,703 | ||
| | | | | | | |
| Weighted average number of common shares in the determination of basic earnings per common share attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. common stockholders | | 15,828,929 | | 15,723,595 | ||
| Plus: | | | | | ||
| Weighted average number of preferred shares outstanding during the period | | 44,180 | | 34,383 | ||
| Potential dilutive effect of unexercised options and unvested stock grants | | 111,439 | | 130,050 | ||
| Weighted average number of shares used for determining diluted earnings per common share attributable to Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. common stockholders | | 15,984,548 | | 15,888,028 | ||
5. Discontinued operations - Mexico project development
In 2010, the Company began the pursuit, through its Netherlands subsidiary, CW-Cooperatief, and its Mexico subsidiary, NSC, of a project (the “Project”) that encompassed the construction, operation and minority ownership of a 100 million gallons per day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant to be located in northern Baja California, Mexico and accompanying pipelines to deliver water to the Mexican potable water system.
Through a series of transactions that began in 2012, NSC purchased 20.1 hectares of land for approximately $21.1 million on which the proposed Project’s plant was to be constructed.
Following an assessment by the State of Baja, California (the “State”) of the need for such a desalination plant and the passage of enabling legislation in November 2015, the State officially commenced the required public tender for the Project. A consortium (the “Consortium”) comprised of NSC, Suez Medio Ambiente México, S.A. de C.V. (“Suez MA”), a subsidiary of SUEZ International, S.A.S., and NuWater S.A.P.I. de C.V. (“NuWater”) submitted its tender for the Project in April 2016 and in June 2016, the State designated the Consortium as the winner of the tender process for the Project.
In August 2016, NSC and NuWater incorporated a new company under the name AdR to pursue completion of the Project and executed a shareholders agreement for AdR agreeing among other things that (i) AdR would purchase the land and other Project assets from NSC on the date that the Project begins commercial operation and (ii) AdR would enter into a Management and Technical Services Agreement with NSC effective on the first day that the Project begins commercial operation. NSC initially owned 99.6% of the equity of AdR. In February 2018, CW-Holdings acquired the remaining 0.4% ownership in AdR from NuWater.
On August 22, 2016, the Public Private Partnership Agreement for the Project (the “APP Contract”) was executed between AdR, the State Water Commission of Baja, California (“CEA”), and the Government of Baja California, as represented by the Secretary of Planning and Finance and the Public Utilities Commission of Tijuana (“CESPT”). The APP Contract required AdR to design, construct, finance and operate a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant (and accompanying aqueduct) with a capacity of up to 100 million gallons per day in two phases: the first with a capacity of 50 million gallons per day and an aqueduct to the Mexican public water system in Tijuana, Baja California and the second phase with a capacity of 50 million gallons per day. The first phase was to be operational within 36 months of commencing construction and the second phase was to be operational by January 2025. The APP Contract further required AdR to operate and maintain the plant and aqueduct for a period of 37 years starting from the commencement of operation of the first phase.
At the end of the operating period, the plant and aqueduct would have been transferred to CEA. The APP Contract was subsequently amended by the parties in June 2018 to increase the scope of Phase 1 and to allow for changes in the water tariff due to the changes in the exchange rate for the peso, interest rates and construction costs that had and would occur from the date the APP Contract was signed to the date construction commenced.
On June 29, 2020, AdR received a letter (the “Letter”) from the Director General of CEA and the Director General of CESPT terminating the APP Contract. The Letter requested that AdR provide an inventory of the assets that currently comprise the “Project Works” (as defined in the APP Contract) for the purpose of acknowledging and paying the non-recoverable expenses made by AdR in connection with the Project, with such reimbursement to be calculated in accordance with the terms of the APP Contract. The applicable law required that this list of non-recoverable expenses made by AdR in connection with the Project be submitted to CEA and CESPT within 20 business days from the date of receipt of the Letter. AdR initiated an amparo claim before a federal district court in Tijuana, Baja California, to challenge the provision of the applicable law requiring submittal of the list of non-recoverable expenses within the 20 business days term, as AdR considered such term to be unreasonably short due to the magnitude of the Project and the scope of supporting documentation required to be provided with respect to the non-recoverable expenses. AdR obtained an initial provisional suspension of the lapsing of such 20-day term from the court, and on August 10, 2020 the court made such suspension definitive until the completion of the amparo trial. As such, the 20-day term for filing the list of non-recoverable expenses was suspended. Therefore, on August 28, 2020, AdR submitted their list of non-recoverable expenses, including those of NSC, to CEA and CESPT which was comprised of 51,144,525 United States dollars and an additional 137,333,114 Mexican pesos. In February 2021, AdR withdrew this amparo claim, and such withdrawal was accepted by the federal district court in Tijuana. To date, AdR has not received a formal response from CEA or CESPT to its submission of non-recoverable expenses.
The Company believes CW-Cooperatief, as a Netherlands company, has certain rights relating to its investments in NSC and AdR under theAgreement on Promotion, Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Mexican Statesentered into force as of October 1, 1999 (the “Treaty”). On April 16, 2021, CW-Cooperatief submitted a letter to the President of Mexico and other Mexican federal government officials alleging that the State’s termination of the APP Contract constituted a breach by Mexico of its international obligations under the Treaty, entitling CW-Cooperatief to full reparation, including monetary damages. This letter invited Mexico to seek a resolution of this investment dispute through consultation and negotiation, but stated that if the dispute cannot be resolved in this manner, CW-Cooperatief would refer the dispute to the International Centre for the Settlement of International Disputes for arbitration, as provided for in the Treaty. On June 29, 2021, the Mexican Ministry of Economy responded to CW-Cooperatief’s letter and proposed to hold a consultation meeting. Two such meetings were held on July 9, 2021 and August 2, 2021 on a confidential basis, without a resolution of the Company’s investment dispute.
On February 9, 2022, CW-Cooperatief, filed a Request for Arbitration with the International Centre for Settlement of International Disputes requesting that the United Mexican States pay CW-Cooperatief damages in excess of US$51 million plus MXN$137 million (with the exact amount to be quantified in the proceedings), plus fees, costs and pre- and post-award interest.
CW-Cooperatief intends to pursue vigorously the relief sought in the arbitration, in addition to pursuing all other legal remedies and courses of action available under the operative contracts and applicable law with respect to their rights, damages, fees and expenses. The Company cannot provide any assurances that CW-Cooperatief will be able to obtain the relief sought in the arbitration, and the Company has incurred and will continue to incur legal and other arbitration-related expenses that are material to its consolidated results of operations and cash flows.
During July 2022, the State initiated discussions with the Company to potentially resolve the issues related to the cancellation by the government of the Rosarito desalination plant contract as well as potentially addressing the State’s acute water shortage issues. The Company cannot presently determine the outcome of the discussions and the Company has not terminated its efforts to obtain relief through the international arbitration process as a result of these discussions.
The Company cannot provide any assurances that it will be able to obtain reimbursement for any expenses or investments made with respect to the Project.
As a result of the cancellation of the APP Contract, in 2020 the Company discontinued all development activities associated with the Project and commenced active marketing efforts to sell the land NSC purchased for the Project. Accordingly, the assets and liabilities of CW-Cooperatief, NSC and AdR, as well as the costs for legal and administrative activities to pursue reimbursement from the State of Baja California following the cancellation of the APP Contract, are classified as discontinued operations in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.
Summarized financial information for the discontinued Mexico project development operation is as follows:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | March 31, | | | December 31, |
| | | | 2024 | | | 2023 |
| · · · · | ||||||
| Cash | $396,525 | $91,283 | ||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | | | 145,732 | | | 120,234 |
| Land | | 21,126,898 | | 21,126,898 | ||
| Other assets | | — | | 2,390 | ||
| Total assets of discontinued operations | | $21,669,155 | | $21,340,805 | ||
| | | | ||||
| Total liabilities of discontinued operations | | $453,081 | | $364,665 | ||
| · · · · · · | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · · Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||
| · 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Revenue | $— | $— | ||
| Loss from discontinued operations | | $467,066 | | $259,163 |
| Depreciation expense | | $— | | $— |
Mexico Project litigation
| a) | EWG request of precautionary measures |
|---|
In January 2018, EWG Water LLC (“EWG”) initiated an ordinary mercantile claim against, among others, N.S.C. Agua, S.A. de C.V. (“NSC”) and Consolidated Water Cooperatief, U.A. (“CW-Cooperatief”) (with Aguas de Rosarito S.A.P.I. de C.V. (“AdR”) being named as a third party to be called to trial) before the Tenth Civil Judge in Tijuana, Baja California for Mercantile Matters (the “Tenth Civil Judge”).
In such claim, EWG challenged, among other things, the transactions contemplated under a certain option agreement (entered into in 2012), and therefore, the capital investment transactions occurring in May 2013 that increased the ownership interest of CW-Cooperatief in NSC to 99.99%. On October 1, 2020, and following an order from a Federal Judge obtained by NSC, the Tenth Civil Judge resolved to (i) move the claim of EWG to arbitration, and (ii) suspend the corresponding ordinary mercantile procedure. Within the above-mentioned claim, the Tenth Civil Judge granted EWG certain preliminary measures against NSC, which were later overturned by an Upper Court.
In July 2023, EWG filed a motion before a local court in Playas de Rosarito, Baja California (the “Rosarito Court”) to obtain precautionary measures consisting of the securing of assets owned by NSC (particularly real estate), as a procedure prior to the commencement of an arbitration that allegedly would be initiated by EWG against NSC to claim the payment of an indemnification for damages derived from a so-called simulation of legal acts. In the opinion of the Rosarito Court, such motion did not require notification to NSC or the presentation of counterarguments by NSC to the motion prior to securing the assets of NSC.
On July 28, 2023, the Rosarito Court issued a resolution in which it: (i) granted the precautionary measures requested by EWG, subject to the posting of a bond in the amount of MXN$1,500,000 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Mexican Pesos), and (ii) ordered that once the precautionary measures were executed, EWG would have three business days, counted from the posting of the bond, to initiate and prove to the Rosarito Court that it initiated the arbitration. To the Company’s knowledge EWG has not posted the bond. Consequently, NSC has not been summoned to an arbitration procedure.
As EWG has apparently not posted the bond set by the Rosarito Court (i) the precautionary measures have not been enforced; (ii) no securing or attachment has been registered against the real estate of NSC; and (iii) NSC has not been formally summoned to this procedure. As stated previously, NSC is unaware of any arbitration commenced by EWG regarding this matter.
| b) | NSC amparo lawsuit |
|---|
On August 16, 2023, NSC filed an amparo suit (i.e. application for constitutional relief) before the Eleventh Federal District Court in Tijuana (“Federal District Court in Tijuana”) against the precautionary measures granted to EWG by the Rosarito Court.
In its amparo suit, NSC also requested the Federal District Court in Tijuana to grant an order to put on hold said precautionary measures. A preliminary order to stay was granted by the Federal District Court in Tijuana, followed by a definitive injunction, subject to the posting of a guarantee. NSC has submitted the guarantee to the court.
NSC subsequently filed an extension of the amparo suit introducing new arguments aiming to strengthen NSC´s position. The amparo extension was admitted through a resolution published on November 7, 2023.
The Federal District Court in Tijuana has not been able to summon EWG on this amparo suit, as it has not been able to determine or obtain an address for such summons. As such, the Federal District Court in Tijuana has requested various authorities to provide information on any domicile where EWG can be summoned.
The responses of some authorities are in process of being received by the Federal District Court in Tijuana. NSC is waiting until all the authorities provide their official response to determine if there is a viable alternative for summoning EWG.
NSC offered certain evidence consisting of the docket of amparo file number 74/2020, which was processed by the Twelfth Civil District Court in Tijuana. The Amparo Law provides that any documentary evidence offered by the parties shall be issued without any cost. Therefore, NSC requested the Court to grant the expedition of said copies for free.
However, this request was denied by the Federal District Court in Tijuana. Therefore, NSC filed an appeal for review against said decision, which was admitted by the Federal District Court in Tijuana and sent to the Second Collegiate Circuit Court in Tijuana, acting as Court of Appeals, which confirmed the admission of the appeal remedy through a resolution published on January 26, 2024. The judgment is still pending resolution.
The Company cannot presently determine what impact the resolution of this matter may have on its consolidated financial statements.
6. Leases
The Company’s leases consist primarily of leases for office and warehouse space. For leases with terms greater than twelve months, the related asset and obligation are recorded at the present value of the lease payments over the term. Many of these leases contain rental escalation clauses which are factored into the determination of the lease payments when appropriate. When available, the lease payments are discounted using the rate implicit in the lease; however, the Company’s current leases do not provide a readily determinable implicit rate. Therefore, the Company’s incremental borrowing rate is estimated to discount the lease payments based on information available at the lease commencement.
These leases contain both lease and non-lease components, which the Company has elected to treat as a single lease component. The Company elected not to recognize leases that have an original lease term, including reasonably certain renewal or purchase obligations, of twelve months or less in its condensed consolidated balance sheets for all classes of underlying assets. Lease costs for such short-term leases are expensed on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
All lease assets denominated in a foreign currency are measured using the exchange rate at the commencement of the lease. All lease liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are remeasured using the exchange rate as of the condensed consolidated balance sheet date.
Lease assets and liabilities
The following table presents the lease-related assets and liabilities and their respective classification on the condensed consolidated balance sheets:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · March 31, · · December 31, | ||||||
| · · 2024 · · 2023 | ||||||
| ASSETS · · · | ||||||
| Current · · · | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | | $27,786 | | $110,541 | ||
| Current assets of discontinued operations | | | — | | | — |
| Noncurrent | | | | | ||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | | 2,052,610 | | 2,135,446 | ||
| Total lease right-of-use assets | | $2,080,396 | | $2,245,987 | ||
| | | | | | | |
| LIABILITIES | | | ||||
| Current | | | | |||
| Current maturities of operating leases | | $381,423 | | $456,865 | ||
| Current liabilities of discontinued operations | | | — | | | — |
| Noncurrent | | | | | ||
| Noncurrent operating leases | | | 1,735,851 | | | 1,827,302 |
| Total lease liabilities | | $2,117,274 | | $2,284,167 | ||
| | | | | | | |
| Weighted average remaining lease term: | | | ||||
| Operating leases | | 6.1 years | | 6.1 years | ||
| | | | | | ||
| Weighted average discount rate: | | | | | ||
| Operating leases | | 5.71% | | 5.67% | ||
The components of lease costs were as follows:
| | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||
| · · 2024 · · 2023 · | |||||||
| Operating lease costs | | $205,872 | | $170,378 | | ||
| Short-term lease costs | | 69,709 | | | 25,346 | | |
| Lease costs - discontinued operations | | | 12,120 | | | 10,786 | |
| Total lease costs | | $287,701 | | $206,510 | | ||
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases is as follows:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Three Months Ended March 31, | |||||
| · · 2024 · · 2023 | ||||||
| Cash paid for amounts included in measurement of liabilities: · · · · | ||||||
| Operating cash outflows for operating leases | | $198,504 | | $180,890 | ||
| Operating cash outflows for operating leases - discontinued operations | | | — | | | 2,732 |
Future lease payments relating to the Company’s operating lease liabilities from continuing operations as of March 31, 2024 were as follows:
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years ending December 31, · Total | |||
| 2024 | | $380,322 | |
| 2025 | | 462,990 | |
| 2026 | | 379,019 | |
| 2027 | | 336,597 | |
| 2028 | | | 341,687 |
| Thereafter | | 639,929 | |
| Total future lease payments | | 2,540,544 | |
| Less: imputed interest | | (423,270) | |
| Total lease obligations | | 2,117,274 | |
| Less: current obligations | | (381,423) | |
| Noncurrent lease obligations | | $1,735,851 | |
- Fair value
As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the carrying amounts of cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, accrued compensation, dividends payable and other current liabilities approximate their fair values due to the short-term maturities of these instruments.
Under US GAAP, fair value is defined as the exit price, or the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants as of the measurement date. US GAAP guidance also establishes a hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are inputs market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability and are developed based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the factors market participants would use in valuing the asset or liability. The guidance establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:
Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 - Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3 - Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
Assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurements. The Company reviews its fair value hierarchy classifications on a quarterly basis. Changes in the observability of valuation inputs may result in a reclassification of levels for certain securities within the fair value hierarchy.
As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company does not have assets and liabilities measured at fair value to present in the fair value hierarchy.
8**. 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 March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company generated approximately 22% and 24%, respectively, of its consolidated revenue and 37% and 40%, 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 $25.6 million and $26.9 million as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Approximately 79% 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 March 31, 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 over the course 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 iterated these ratings in April and October 2023 and April 2024, noting that such ratings are “stable.”
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.
- Impact of recent accounting standards
Adoption of new accounting standards:
None.
Effect of newly issued but not yet effective accounting standards:
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2023-07,Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This ASU updates reportable segment disclosure requirements by requiring disclosures of significant reportable segment expenses that are regularly provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) and included within each reported measure of a segment’s profit or loss. This ASU also requires disclosure of the title and position of the individual identified as the CODM and an explanation of how the CODM uses the reported measures of a segment’s profit or loss in assessing segment performance and deciding how to allocate resources. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09,Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The ASU requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as additional information on income taxes paid. The ASU is effective on a prospective basis for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance.
- Subsequent events
The Company evaluated subsequent events through the time of the filing of this report on Form 10-Q. The Company is not aware of any significant events that occurred subsequent to the balance sheet date but prior to the filing of this report that would have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial statements.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.