Pacific Utility Leaders Highlight the Value of PWWA's Regional Network

For water and wastewater utilities operating across the Pacific, access to technical expertise, reliable partnerships and practical solutions can make a significant difference to how essential services are delivered. From resolving operational challenges to identifying new suppliers and accessing training opportunities, the value of regional cooperation is increasingly being demonstrated through the experiences of the utilities themselves.

These experiences were brought into focus at the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association's (PWWA) Utility Chief Executive Consultation, held in Papaeete, French Polynesia, on 2 September 2026, during the Pacific Water and Wastewater Conference and Expo (PWWC26).

The consultation brought together utility leaders to reflect on the benefits of belonging to PWWA, sharing examples of how the Association's regional network has supported their operations, strengthened professional capacity and created opportunities for collaboration across Pacific Island countries and territories.

Facilitated by Oksana Tkachenko, Founder and CEO of Brisbane-based financial consultancy Lean Finance, the session formed part of a financial review commissioned by the PWWA Board to help inform the Association's future direction and long-term sustainability.

"The PWWA Board asked me to review the association's finances and report my findings. My goal for the Utility Chief Executive Consultation was therefore not to present conclusions, but to give members the evidence and let them decide what they wanted their association to be," Tkachenko explained.

At the heart of the consultation was an interactive exercise known as the Value Wall, where utility executives were invited to document the benefits they had gained through PWWA membership. Approximately 100 cards were completed, capturing experiences across four themes: knowledge gained from other utilities, occasions when members sought assistance from regional colleagues, opportunities created through PWWA connections, and financial or operational benefits associated with those relationships.

"We began with a wall. Each chief executive wrote down what PWWA had done for their utility that they could not have achieved alone. Within twenty minutes, the wall was full and more persuasive than any slide I could have presented," Tkachenko recalled.

The contributions revealed how PWWA's regional network supports utilities in practical ways, often through professional relationships developed over years of collaboration. Participants described reaching out to colleagues in neighbouring countries for advice on chlorination systems, water quality monitoring, billing and metering, wastewater treatment and operational planning. Others highlighted the benefits of shared technical knowledge, benchmarking, training opportunities and connections with development partners and industry suppliers.

Importantly, several utilities identified tangible financial and operational benefits arising from these connections.

Niue's Department of Utilities reported an estimated 30 per cent reduction in pumping costs following leak detection work supported through a connection with a working partner. UNELCO identified access to a new storage tank supplier associated with an estimated USD 500,000 in value, while Chuuk Public Utility Corporation valued training opportunities at approximately USD 10,000 per person.

Palau Public Utilities Corporation highlighted the use of PWWA benchmarking data in a donor project template, demonstrating how regional performance information can support utilities in developing proposals and accessing potential investment opportunities. These examples were provided by participating utilities during the consultation and represent member-reported benefits and estimates.

For Frank Kyota, Director of Palau Public Utilities Corporation (PPUC) and Chairperson of the PWWA Board, the consultation reinforced the importance of translating regional cooperation into practical improvements for Pacific utilities.

"What stood out most was the collective commitment among utility leaders to move beyond discussing challenges and focus on practical solutions. The consultation highlighted how peer-to-peer engagement enables utilities to learn directly from one another's successes and lessons learned, reducing the need to reinvent the wheel and accelerating the implementation of proven practices," he said.

Collectively, the feedback illustrated an important dimension of PWWA's work: its ability to connect utilities with the knowledge, people and resources that can help strengthen the delivery of essential water and wastewater services.

For smaller and geographically isolated utilities in particular, these professional relationships provide access to a broader pool of experience and expertise. What may be a familiar operational challenge for one utility could already have an established solution elsewhere in the region. Through PWWA, members have opportunities to learn from those experiences, exchange ideas and adapt approaches to their own circumstances.

Kyota highlighted how these connections have directly benefited PPUC, particularly in accessing knowledge and expertise relevant to the realities of managing water and wastewater services in island environments.

"For the Palau Public Utilities Corporation (PPUC), the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (PWWA) plays a vital role in connecting us to a regional network of professionals, technical experts, development partners, and utility leaders who understand the unique realities of operating in island environments. Through PWWA, we gain access to technical training, industry best practices, benchmarking opportunities, and partnerships that help strengthen our operational efficiency and long-term planning."

The significance of these connections became particularly evident when participants were asked what they would miss if PWWA no longer existed. Their responses included networking opportunities, access to donors, and the ability to visit other Pacific islands to learn firsthand from fellow utilities.

One response left a lasting impression on Tkachenko.

"What struck me most was a card answering what members would miss if PWWA did not exist. Someone had written: isolation, having to do things alone - a lonely fish in the reef.

"In eight words, a member had captured the entire case for a regional association."

The reflection captured a reality familiar to many Pacific utilities, where geographic distance, limited resources and specialised technical requirements can make professional cooperation especially valuable. PWWA provides a regional platform through which members can build relationships, share experience and strengthen their collective capacity to address common challenges.

The consultation also invited utility executives to consider how these benefits could be sustained into the future. Discussions explored membership contributions, equitable participation, financial capacity and the importance of demonstrating measurable returns to members and their governments. Participants emphasised that future arrangements should recognise the different circumstances of utilities while supporting stronger member ownership of the Association.

For Tkachenko, the discussions reinforced the importance of that sense of ownership and the recognition among members of what they gain from working together.

"My main takeaway was that PWWA's members recognise the value they receive and feel genuine ownership of the organization - something not every association can claim."

The feedback gathered in Papaeete provides valuable member perspectives to inform PWWA's ongoing organisational and financial planning. It also offers concrete examples of the Association's contribution to strengthening Pacific utilities through professional development, knowledge exchange, technical cooperation and regional partnerships.

As Pacific water and wastewater utilities continue to navigate growing service demands, resource constraints and climate-related pressures, maintaining these connections will remain an important part of building stronger, more capable and resilient water services across the region.

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