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Consolidated Water Co. Ltd.

For the period ended Dec 31, 2024. Filed Mar 17, 2025.

View on SEC.gov

About this filing

A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.

FY2024 · Filed Mar 17, 2025

CWCO$27.22+2.6%Stored close · as of Nov 6, 2026

What changed in Risk Factors?

Read the current filing

Previous report: 10-K

Period ended 2023-12-31; filed 2024-03-27.

0001558370-24-004095

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Current report: 10-K

Period ended 2024-12-31; filed 2025-03-17.

0001558370-25-003137

Item 1A. Risk Factors

The baseline is this issuer’s latest earlier reporting period of the same form that was filed before the current report. A previous 10-Q is a different quarter, not a year-over-year comparison. Amendments are excluded.

Compared 60 previous paragraphs and 62 current paragraphs.

40 unchanged; 16 reworded; 4 added; 0 removed; 4 previous and 2 current paragraphs rearranged.

Tables are not compared: 1 previous and 1 current tables excluded. Dates, whitespace, punctuation and numbering changes are ignored; changes to financial figures remain significant.

A changed paragraph is not evidence that risk increased or decreased. An unchanged paragraph does not establish that risk stayed the same.

Added paragraphs (4)

Current report

Under the new regulatory legislation passed in October 2016, Cayman Water must first be granted a concession by the government before obtaining a new (or renewing the old) retail operations license. On February 18, 2025, Cayman Water received a new concession from government that authorizes and maintains the terms of the 1990 license until a new license from OfReg is negotiated and enacted.

Current report

Our internal controls over financial reporting were not considered to be effective as of December 31, 2024, and our independent auditors may not be able to certify as to their effectiveness in the future, which could adversely affect our business results and operations.

Current report

A material weakness was identified in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. The material weakness related to insufficient information technology general controls designed to monitor direct changes to databases within two accounting systems during the period January 1, 2024 through October 31, 2024. Although we have taken actions to remediate this weakness, we cannot conclude that our remediation effort has been successful until such time as we have completed sufficient testing of the remediation process and the accompanying internal controls and procedures that rely on the information technology general controls. We cannot assure you that our remediation efforts will be successful or that other material weaknesses and control deficiencies will not be discovered in the future. If we identify any other material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, it may cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock.

Current report

●restricting the importation or use, and/or imposing tariffs on certain goods and materials from foreign countries;
Reworded paragraphs (16)

Previous wording

Our exclusive license to provide water to retail customers in the Cayman Islands has not been expressly extended and we are presently unable to predict the outcome of our on-going negotiations relating to this license.

Current wording

Our exclusive license to provide water to retail customers in the Cayman Islands is presently under renegotiation with OfReg, the Cayman Islands government utility regulatory authority, and we are presently unable to predict the outcome of these on-going negotiations.

Previous wording

We sell water through our 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, we continue to supply water under the terms of the 1990 license, as discussed in the following paragraphs. 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. In 2023 and 2022, we generated approximately 17% and 27%, respectively, of our consolidated revenue and 26% and 44%, respectively, of our consolidated gross profit from the retail water operations conducted under the 1990 license.

Current wording

We sell water through our 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. 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. In 2024, 2023, and 2022, we generated approximately 24%, 17% and 27%, respectively, of our consolidated revenue and 38%, 26% and 44%, respectively, of our consolidated gross profit from the retail water operations conducted under the 1990 license.

Previous wording

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 license expired on January 31, 2018. We continue 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 our understanding of its legal obligations, treating those obligations set forth in the 1990 license as operative notwithstanding the expiration of the express extension. We continue to pay a royalty of 7.5% of the revenue we collect as required under the 1990 license.

Current wording

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 license expired on January 31, 2018. From that date through February 18, 2025, we continued 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 our understanding of its legal obligations, treating those obligations set forth in the

Previous wording

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 economic regulation of the water utility sector and the negotiations with us for a new retail license from the WAC to OfReg

Current wording

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 economic regulation of the water utility sector and the negotiations with us for a new retail license from the WAC to OfReg in May 2017. We began license negotiations with OfReg in July 2017 and such negotiations are ongoing. We have been informed during our retail license negotiations, both by OfReg and its predecessor in these negotiations, that they seek to restructure the terms of our license in a manner that could significantly reduce the operating income and cash flows we have historically generated from our retail license.

Previous wording

We are presently unable to determine what impact the resolution of our retail license negotiations will have on our cash flows, 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 we have historically generated from our retail operations and could require us to record impairment losses to reduce the carrying values of our retail segment assets. Such impairment losses could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

We are presently unable to determine what impact the resolution of our retail license negotiations with OfReg will have on our cash flows, 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 we have historically generated from our retail operations and could require us to record impairment losses to reduce the carrying values of our retail segment assets. Such impairment losses could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable balances (which include accrued interest) due from the WSC amounted to $26.9 million as of December 31, 2023. Approximately 80% of this December 31, 2023 accounts receivable balance was delinquent as of that date. The delay in collecting these accounts receivable has adversely impacted the liquidity of this subsidiary.

Current wording

CW-Bahamas’ accounts receivable balances (which include accrued interest) due from the WSC amounted to $28.4 million as of December 31, 2024. Approximately 81% of this December 31, 2024 accounts receivable balance was delinquent as of that date. The delay in collecting these accounts receivable has adversely impacted the liquidity of this subsidiary.

Previous wording

In a 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 Baa3. Moody’s iterated these ratings in April and October 2023, noting that such ratings are “stable.”

Current wording

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.

Previous wording

The cost estimates we prepare in connection with the construction and operation of our water plants, the water infrastructure we construct and sell to third parties, and our manufacturing contracts, are subject to inherent uncertainties. Additionally, the terms of our water supply contracts may require us to guarantee the price of water on a per unit basis, subject to certain annual inflation and monthly energy cost adjustments, and to assume the risk that the costs associated with producing this water may be greater than anticipated. Because we base our contract prices in part on our estimation of future construction, manufacturing and operating costs, the profitability of our plants and our manufacturing and operations and maintenance contracts is dependent on our ability to estimate these costs accurately. The cost of materials and services and the cost of the delivery of such services may increase significantly after we submit our bid for contract, which could cause the gross profit for a contract to be less than we anticipated when the bid was made. The profit margins we initially expect to generate from an operations and maintenance contract could be further reduced if future operating costs for that contract exceed our estimates of such costs. Any construction, manufacturing, and operating costs for our contracts that significantly exceed our initial estimates could have a material adverse impact our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Current wording

The cost estimates we prepare in connection with the construction and operation of our water plants, the water infrastructure we construct and sell to third parties, and our manufacturing contracts, are subject to inherent uncertainties. Additionally, the terms of our water supply contracts may require us to guarantee the price of water on a per unit basis, subject to certain annual inflation and monthly energy cost adjustments, and to assume the risk that the costs associated with producing this water may be greater than anticipated. Because we base our contract prices in part on our estimation of future construction, manufacturing and operating costs, the profitability of our plants and our manufacturing and operations and maintenance contracts is dependent on our ability to estimate these costs accurately. The cost of materials and services and the cost of the delivery of such services may increase significantly after we submit our bid for a contract, which could cause the gross profit for a contract to be less than we anticipated when the bid was made. The profit margins we initially expect to generate from an operations and maintenance contract could be further reduced if future operating costs for that contract exceed our estimates of such costs. Any construction, manufacturing, and operating costs for our contracts that significantly exceed our initial estimates could have a material adverse impact our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Previous wording

Certain of PERC’s contracts with its customers may be terminated at any time at the customer’s convenience or with relatively short advance notice. The termination of any of these contracts prior to their full performance may result in us realizing less than the full consideration payable under the contract and may negatively impact our financial results.

Current wording

Certain of PERC’s contracts with its customers, including the contract with the Board of Water Supply of the City of Honolulu, Hawaii, may be terminated at any time at the customer’s convenience or with relatively short advance notice. The termination of any of these contracts prior to their full performance may result in us realizing less than the full consideration payable under the contract and may negatively impact our financial results.

Previous wording

One bulk water customer, the WSC, accounted for approximately 17% of our consolidated revenue for 2023. If, for financial or other reasons, the WSC does not comply with the terms of our water supply agreements our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

Current wording

One bulk water customer, the WSC, accounted for approximately 22% of our consolidated revenue for 2024. If, for financial or other reasons, the WSC does not comply with the terms of our water supply agreements our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

Previous wording

Demand for our water in the Cayman Islands and The Bahamas is affected by variations in the level of tourism and local weather, primarily rainfall. Tourism in our service areas is affected by the economies of the tourists’ home countries, primarily the United States and Europe, terrorist activity and perceived threats thereof, global health concerns such as COVID-19, and increased costs of fuel and airfare. In the Cayman Islands, we normally sell more water during the first and second quarters of the year, when the number of tourists is greater and local rainfall is less than in the third and fourth quarters. A downturn in tourism or greater than expected rainfall in the locations we serve could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting cessation of tourism to the Cayman Islands through August 2022 significantly reduced demand for our water.

Current wording

Demand for our water in the Cayman Islands and The Bahamas is affected by variations in the level of tourism and local weather, primarily rainfall. Tourism in our service areas is affected by the economies of the tourists’ home countries, primarily the United States and Europe, terrorist activity and perceived threats thereof, global health concerns such as COVID-19, and increased costs of fuel and airfare. In the Cayman Islands, we normally sell more water during the first and second quarters of the year, when the number of tourists is greater and local rainfall is less than in the third and fourth quarters. A downturn in tourism or greater than expected rainfall in the locations we serve could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting cessation of tourism to the Cayman Islands through August 2022 significantly reduced the demand for our water.

Previous wording

A natural disaster could cause major damage to our equipment and properties and the properties of our customers, including the large tourist properties in our areas of operation. For example, in January 2020, Grand Cayman experienced an earthquake which damaged three of our eight storage tanks. Any future disaster could cause us to lose use of our equipment and properties and incur additional repair costs. Damage to our customers’ properties and the adverse impact on tourism could result in a decrease in water demand. A natural disaster could also disrupt the delivery of equipment and supplies,

Current wording

A natural disaster could cause major damage to our equipment and properties and the properties of our customers, including the large tourist properties in our areas of operation. For example, in January 2020, Grand Cayman experienced an earthquake which damaged three of our eight storage tanks. Any future disaster could cause us to lose use of our equipment and properties and incur additional repair costs. Damage to our customers’ properties and the adverse impact on tourism could result in a decrease in water demand. A natural disaster could also disrupt the delivery of equipment and supplies, including electricity, necessary to our operations. These and other possible effects of natural disasters could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Previous wording

We are subject to credit risk posed by possible defaults in payment by our bulk water customers in the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. We are also subject to credit risk posed by possible defaults in payment by our customers in the United States. Adverse economic conditions affecting, or financial difficulties of, those parties could impair their ability to pay us or cause them to delay payment. We depend on these parties to pay us on a timely basis. Our

Current wording

We are subject to credit risk posed by possible defaults in payment by our customers in the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, the United States, and the British Virgin Islands. Adverse economic conditions affecting, or financial difficulties of, those parties could impair their ability to pay us or cause them to delay payment. We depend on these parties to pay us on a timely basis. Our outstanding accounts receivable are not covered by collateral or credit insurance. Any delay or default in payment could adversely affect our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Previous wording

Although we report our results in United States dollars, a significant portion of our revenue is earned in other currencies. These currencies have been fixed to the United States dollar for more than 20 years. Consequently, we do not employ hedging strategies against the foreign currency exchange rate risk associated with conducting business in foreign currencies while reporting in United States dollars. If any of the existing fixed exchange rates for these other currencies becomes a floating exchange rate and any of these currencies depreciate against the U.S. dollar, our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

Current wording

Although we report our results in United States dollars, a significant portion of our revenue is earned in other currencies. These currencies have been fixed to the United States dollar for more than 50 years. Consequently, we do not employ hedging strategies against the foreign currency exchange rate risk associated with conducting business in foreign currencies while reporting in United States dollars. If any of the existing fixed exchange rates for these other currencies becomes a floating exchange rate and any of these currencies depreciate against the U.S. dollar, our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

Previous wording

We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and most of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, six of our 14 Directors and Officers reside outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to execute service of process within the United States upon us and such other persons, or to enforce judgments obtained against such persons in United States courts, and bring any action, including actions predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the United States securities laws. In addition, it may be difficult for investors to enforce, in original actions brought in courts or jurisdictions located outside of the United States, rights predicated upon the United States securities laws.

Current wording

We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and most of our assets are located outside of the United States. In addition, six of our 13 Directors and Officers reside outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to execute service of process within the United States upon us and such other persons, or to enforce judgments obtained against such persons in United States courts, and bring any action, including actions predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the United States securities laws. In addition, it may be difficult for investors to enforce, in original actions

Previous wording

sellers of our common stock at any given time. This presence in turn depends on the individual decisions of investors and general economic and market conditions over which we have no control. Due to the limited volume of trading in our common stock, an investor in our stock may have difficulty selling larger volumes of our common stock in the manner, or at the price, that might be attainable if our common stock were more actively traded.

Current wording

The average daily trading volume of our common stock in 2024 was approximately 118,000 shares, a much lower trading volume than that of many other companies listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends on the presence in the market of willing buyers and sellers of our common stock at any given time. This presence in turn depends on the individual decisions of investors and general economic and market conditions over which we have no control. Due to the limited volume of trading in our common stock, an investor in our stock may have difficulty selling larger volumes of our common stock in the manner, or at the price, that might be attainable if our common stock were more actively traded.
Rearranged current paragraphs (2)

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

1990 license as operative notwithstanding the expiration of the express extension. We continued to pay a royalty of 7.5% of the revenue we collected as required under the 1990 license.

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

brought in courts or jurisdictions located outside of the United States, rights predicated upon the United States securities laws.
Rearranged previous paragraphs (4)

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

in May 2017. We began license negotiations with OfReg in July 2017 and such negotiations are ongoing. We have been informed during our retail license negotiations, both by OfReg and its predecessor in these negotiations, that the Cayman Islands government seeks to restructure the terms of our license in a manner that could significantly reduce the operating income and cash flows we have historically generated from our retail license.

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

including electricity, necessary to our operations. These and other possible effects of natural disasters could have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

outstanding accounts receivable are not covered by collateral or credit insurance. Any delay or default in payment could adversely affect our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

The average daily trading volume of our common stock in 2023 was approximately 131,600 shares, a much lower trading volume than that of many other companies listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends on the presence in the market of willing buyers and